Shropshire hospital helpers from teenage to retirement age back mass mobilisation of NHS volunteers
Two Shropshire hospital helpers are aiming to inspire people to become NHS volunteers, as a new poll reveals that a quarter of people in the West Midlands would consider ‘stepping up’.
Healthcare volunteering charity Helpforce is calling on the Government to launch “the biggest health volunteering recruitment drive since the pandemic” to help tackle the NHS treatment backlog.
Campaigners say boosting the number of volunteers taking on roles that improve patient flow through wards and clinics could be “transformative”.
The charity’s appeal follows a YouGov survey suggesting that 25 per cent of people across the West Midlands would consider NHS volunteering.
Helpforce says the proposal highlights the immense impact of volunteers – including 17-year-old Alisha-Mai Stevens, who helps patients awaiting discharge at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, and 74-year-old Claire Ashton, who has donated hundreds of hours to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Alisha-Mai, from Brookside, said: “Hospital volunteering is the best thing I’ve ever done – I get to help other people and learn new skills. It’s an enormous privilege.”
Her decision to volunteer was driven by her family’s gratitude to the NHS. Her mum, Sharon Durrance, has lived with cancer since the year after Alisha-Mai was born, so hospital visits have been part of her life for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve grown up seeing how busy doctors and nurses are. I just wanted to give back,” she said. “I heard about hospital volunteering at school, applied to Princess Royal Hospital, and was thrilled to be accepted.”
After online training, Alisha-Mai began volunteering in the patient discharge lounge, offering drinks, collecting items from the pharmacy, and helping patients prepare to leave hospital safely. She now volunteers every Saturday and has grown in confidence over the past 18 months.
She recalled: “A patient in the lounge suffered a cardiac arrest. I ran to grab the medical equipment the doctors needed. They saved him. I know I only played a small part, but it felt amazing.”
“One of the things I love most is talking with patients – some have cancer like my mum. Hearing their stories makes you grateful.”
Former police officer Claire Ashton, from Shrewsbury, began volunteering after retirement. She supports the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital’s patient discharge service as a driver and sits on its Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion panel.
She said: “The driving role involves helping patients get safely back home and making sure their heating, lights, and water are working. Volunteering is a two-way street – you give, but you also get so much back.”
More than 7,400 people like Alisha-Mai and Claire already volunteer in NHS wards and clinics across the West Midlands, taking on non-clinical tasks such as collecting prescriptions, transporting blood samples, and providing refreshments. These trained volunteers relieve pressure on doctors and nurses, enabling them to focus on care.
Helpforce chief executive Amerjit Chohan said: “The NHS remains under intense pressure despite the valiant efforts of its staff and volunteers. People feel the effects of long waiting lists and stretched services. It’s clear from YouGov’s poll that many are willing to step forward and help – just like Alisha-Mai did.
“We’re calling on the Government to invest in the biggest health volunteering recruitment drive since the pandemic, attracting people into roles that improve hospital efficiency and reduce waiting times.
“Even if only two per cent of the 1.2 million people in the West Midlands who’d consider volunteering took part, that would mean around 24,000 new helpers. While volunteering can’t solve all the NHS’s problems, evidence shows it can make a significant contribution.”
People interested in healthcare volunteering opportunities in their local area can visit the NHS Volunteering website.
