Volunteer to Career helps Ukrainian doctor rebuild her life

Before the conflict, Olena was a paediatrician working across hospitals and community clinics in and around Kyiv. But as reports of escalating Russian troop movements grew in 2021, she and her husband made the heart-wrenching decision to leave their home.

“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made,” Olena recalls. “My family was there. My life was there.”

After periods living in Turkey and Canada, Olena and her husband arrived in the UK and settled in Kent. Despite her medical qualifications, returning to clinical practice was far from straightforward. Language barriers, unfamiliar NHS systems, and professional exams stood in her way. At times, she felt like giving up.

That’s when Helpforce’s Volunteer to Career programme offered a vital path forward. Volunteering on the stroke rehabilitation unit at Westbrook House in Margate through Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, Olena began shadowing experienced volunteers. This hands-on experience helped her build confidence, improve communication skills, and gain a deeper understanding of NHS culture.

“Volunteering helped me realise that I still wanted to work with children,” Olena says. “It confirmed that paediatrics is where my passion remains.”

Alongside volunteering, she successfully passed the PLAB exams required for international doctors to practise in the UK and is now completing the final steps to obtain her General Medical Council licence.

Olena also received vital support from the Ukrainian Medical Charity.

Her story highlights a pressing issue: the NHS currently faces around 7,500 doctor vacancies and 21,600 unfilled nursing roles in England alone. At the same time, thousands of refugee healthcare professionals live in the UK but struggle to return to their professions due to language and system barriers.

Since its launch, Helpforce’s Volunteer to Career programme, in conjunction with other pathways, has supported around 300 refugee healthcare professionals to move into paid healthcare roles across the UK. By providing structured volunteering opportunities, tailored support, and shadowing experiences, the programme helps individuals rebuild their skills, confidence, and professional networks.

Amerjit Chohan, Chief Executive of Helpforce, explains:

“We have seen first-hand how structured volunteering can help individuals regain confidence, understand NHS systems and move into frontline healthcare roles. Olena’s story demonstrates the incredible experience, resilience and determination that refugee healthcare professionals bring. Greater investment in programmes like ours could release a torrent of talent into the NHS.”

Olena’s journey, from a paediatrician escaping war to a volunteer rebuilding her career within the NHS, demonstrates the transformative power of volunteering. It is more than gaining experience; it is a bridge between an interrupted past and a hopeful future.

For healthcare professionals forced to leave their homes like Olena, volunteering is a vital step towards reclaiming their lives whilst contributing to the NHS at a time when their skills are urgently needed.

Oksana Lovochkina, Chief Executive of the Ukrainian Medical Charity, says:

“Talent should never be lost because of barriers. As the leader of a community of more than 1,500 Ukrainian healthcare professionals in the UK who have been displaced by the war, I have seen first-hand the immense value these clinicians can bring to the NHS.”

Learn more about Helpforce's Volunteer to Career for Refugees programme here.