We’re working with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to help patients get home as soon as possible

We are helping teams at the Trust set up and evaluate a new volunteering approach in this new partnership. Based on our tried-and-tested Back to Health Pathway framework, new discharge response volunteer roles will be designed and integrated into the organisation’s operation to improve patient flow, helping the trust to speed up discharge.

Alison Robinson, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at the Trust, said: “We are excited to partner with Helpforce on this important new volunteering project.

“Helpforce’s expert support enabled us to fast track the setting up of the project and the design of a clear evaluation framework within just a few weeks. They provided valuable insights and shared proven practices and materials, including document templates and recommendations for establishing an appropriate steering group and creating standard operating procedures—all of which proved instrumental in helping us swiftly get the project off the ground.

“Our discharge response volunteers will provide non - clinical support and an important new link between our ward staff and pharmacy teams. Our approach is designed to reduce pressure on staff, improve the patient experience and support the discharge process for patients. Volunteers will carry out a series of roles, including collecting and delivering medication across the hospital."

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust has started to recruit volunteers to deliver their project at the end of January and in readiness for the launch in February.

Maeve Hully, Director of Volunteering at Helpforce, said: “At Helpforce, we’ve loved working with the teams at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and look forward to helping them introduce and evaluate this new role.

“We know that help from volunteers can have real impact, carrying out tasks that free staff to focus on their clinical duties and to take regular breaks. In addition, we’ve found that when volunteers support patients after they leave hospital, such as sign-posting them to the community services they need, 64% of patients say they are more confident to cope at home

“It’s great to be in this partnership and, if the project is successful, we hope to see the service rolled out to help more staff and patients across the Trust.”

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust has started to recruit volunteers to deliver their pilot at the end of January and in readiness for the launch in February.

About Helpforce’s Back to Health Pathway

The pathway combines new and existing services, where volunteers – in hospital or in the community – work alongside staff to support patients at all stages of their treatment and recovery journey. The aim of the Pathway is to extend volunteer support beyond the hospital, into the community, and to tackle systemic challenges like overstretched staff, high rates of missed appointments (Did Not Attends, or DNAs), patients not being able to leave hospital as soon as they are well, and health inequalities.

If your organisation would like to find out how Helpforce can support your organisation to tackle challenges like this, please drop us an email at help@helpforce.community.