Note: This list is not exhaustive and can be expanded or cut down, in response to the changing needs of your hospital in the face of COVID-19. As the needs increase we would encourage you to think innovatively and expand the tasks performed by volunteers.

Responding to requests for support
Calling in at different locations to lend a hand with non-clinical duties
Assisting in the collection and delivery of urgent blood samples
Collecting medical record files
Reminding & supporting hand gelling
Re-stocking gel dispensers, masks, PPEs around the site
Re-stocking support on wards
Befriending: spending time with patients who do not have many/any visitors. This could include playing games, reading or any other activity. Patients might also be elderly and like to reminisce – there are specific activities available on the ward for patients with dementia
Helping patients to call and face time/Skype their families and friends
Providing patients and visitors with tea, coffee and other refreshments and ensuring patient water jugs are full
Supporting patient’s during mealtime: helping to distribute food; sitting with patients to socialise and normalise eating and to encourage those who require it to try a little more food or fluid; sitting with patients who may need prompting to eat, such as those with dementia or those who need additional encouragement; ensuring that a patient can reach their food and fluids and utensils; assisting a patient by placing their food onto the fork or spoon for them to eat; assisting with cutting up of food or refilling of fluids
Patient feeding – only with training and supervision. Something that you may consider at a later stage, should COVID-19 demands grow
Tea/coffee trolley for staff
Displaying latest information posters around the site
Signposting patients & visitors
Escorting patients to appointments on foot or using wheelchairs
Escorting patients to and from wards for the Discharge Lounge
Escorting patients to and from wards for the Transport Lounge
Escorting patient porter transport to and from wards for Clinical Imaging
Escorting patients to different departments within the hospital for bloods tests, scans and x-rays as instructed by medical staff
Photocopying patient’s notes to assists patient transfer
Wheelchair collection
Supporting patients to Outpatients, assisting with way finding
Escorting patients to visit coffee shops inside the hospital

Response Volunteer