Heartbeat: Volunteers’ Week – Helpforce mobility scheme sees new training to support patients on D43

June 5, 2019

Twenty eager volunteers gathered to take part in new training to help patients stay active and mobile whilst staying on ward D43 at Sheldon block, City Hospital. The training is part of our volunteering scheme that has had funding from national volunteering organisation Helpforce, and has already been running on OPAU at Sandwell and our assessment units at City.

Jane Burton, Senior Ward Charge Nurse on D43 told Heartbeat: “This is significant as we are educating volunteers and improving the service provided, which helps to improve both ourselves and them.”

The training also gave volunteers an understanding of what to expect in certain situations. Colleagues brought along some of the games and reminiscence equipment used to help patients with dementia whilst they are in hospital. Sarah Oley, Advanced Physiotherapist in Acute Medicine said: “This is a very exciting project that we started in OPAU in Sandwell, and at AMU in City. Now we are continuing it in D43 too. The idea is that the volunteers are here to support colleagues and patients.

“The volunteers are so compassionate and their readiness to help means a lot to us.” Yunus Hussain, Volunteer on D47 ward added: “I found the training session very informative and educational. It was a really positive experience as I enjoy engaging with other volunteers who are doing similar roles to me; it is nice knowing that they are there with the same motivation, which is to help.”