'I was so impressed with the exceptional health care I received in Shropshire during my traumatic pregnancy that I'm training to become a midwife'

After experiencing a traumatic pregnancy and birth, Bailey Thompson was so inspired by the “exceptional” care she and her daughter received that she changed career – and is now on her way to becoming a midwife with training in Shrewsbury.

The 36-year-old is one of hundreds of people across the UK who have taken part in the ‘Volunteer to Career’ programme – piloted by the national charity Helpforce. It gives people who are interested in healthcare careers, but don’t have a background in the field, a chance to gain experience and build confidence before applying for paid roles or training.

“If it wasn’t for Volunteer to Career, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to embark on a career as a midwife – I just wouldn’t have seen it as a career path that was open to me,” says Bailey who became an NHS volunteer and is now studying for a midwifery degree.

After becoming pregnant for the first time in 2020, Bailey welcomed daughter Olivia into the world without any issues. But after becoming pregnant again two years later, little did she know that a completely different experience lay in store. The pregnancy was beset by a “myriad of complications” and she was placed under a multidisciplinary team at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

At around the 34-week stage, Bailey experienced significant bleeding and was rushed into the operating theatre for an emergency caesarean section. “It was a scary experience, but one that was made easier because of the phenomenal team of medics, including the midwives," says Bailey. 

After giving birth to a second daughter, Sophie, who weighed just 4lbs 7oz, Bailey and her husband faced an anxious period as Sophie needed a C-PAP machine to aid her breathing for the first 24 hours. She also required the assistance of a gastric tube for feeding and was treated for jaundice on the neonatal unit.

“With the incredible care and nurture from the doctors, nurses and midwives, Sophie gradually improved and we were able to take her home after a couple of weeks,” said Bailey.

“During my time on the neonatal unit, I got a lot of exposure to the midwives and I found myself becoming more and more interested in their work. I kept asking them questions about their roles and what was involved – they were only too happy to satisfy my curiosity. 

“One day in the hospital corridor, I spotted a poster for Helpforce’s Volunteer to Career scheme. I decided to investigate and I ended up being interviewed for the programme while Sophie was still undergoing her treatment.”

Over the next year, Bailey completed over 200 hours of volunteering with the post-natal team at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

“The team were incredibly supportive,” she recalls. “I learned so much in a short space of time. But I also worked hard, taking on tea rounds, distributing meals and setting up beds for patients.”

Last year, Bailey applied for a three-year midwifery degree at the University of Staffordshire and has her heart set on a permanent midwife role when she graduates in two years. 

“Having spent years working in business consultancy and specialising in talent recruitment, it’s a massive career shift. But I’m driven by a desire tobe able to provide other women with the same exceptional care that Sophie and I received – that’s ultimately what I’m in this for,” she said.

To date, 48 different NHS organisations across England, including Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Compton Care Hospice in Wolverhampton, have taken part in Volunteer to Career. 

Helpforce Chief Executive, Amerjit Chohan, said: “The success of the Volunteer to Career programme to date has been significant.Together with our partners in NHS Trusts and other organisations, we’ve helpedpeople like Bailey to gain valuable experience before applying for paid roles.

“Through expertly designed and structured pathways, volunteers can find their nichewithout the immediate pressure of employment, while being upskilled and givenconfidence to take into job interviews.

“Since we launched the pilot initiative in 2022, hundreds of people have taken partnationally, with 55% of them successfully transitioning from volunteering roles to paidcareers in healthcare or associated courses - including nursing and midwifery.

“Our analysis shows that with the right investment, there’s clear potential to supersizethe opportunity, with conservative capacity for each of the 215 NHS trusts in Englandto support an average of 50 volunteers annually. 

"We believe that over the next four years that could set over 23,650 people on a path to fulfilling healthcare careers thatbenefit not only them, but the whole of society. We urge the Government to considerVolunteer to Career expansion as part of its upcoming NHS 10-Year Health Plan,unleashing the potential of home-grown healthcare talent.”

Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: “As Bailey’s story illustrates, Volunteer to Career is an effective way of opening up healthcare career opportunities to people with no prior experience in the field.” We are delighted to have partnered with Helpforce on the initiative.”

Saffron Cordery, Interim Chief Executive of NHS Providers, said:“It’s evident that a great many NHS Trusts are already reaping benefits from the Volunteer to Career programme. 

"Addressing NHS workforce shortages requires areadiness to explore innovative solutions and bold thinking. The advantage ofexpanding an already proven model like this is that good practice can easily be shared todeliver results at scale.”

As well as working with NHS hospital and ambulance trusts, the Volunteer to Career pilothas involved nine hospices. 

Funding to date has included a £900,000 grant from NHSEngland and £865,000 from the Burdett Trust for Nursing.