Useful Info
Make a difference and volunteer in the hospital
Every 24 hours of every day in Southampton's NHS Trust Hospitals - The General, Princess Anne and the RSH, they:
- perform more than 2,200 x-rays and scans
- see 950 people at outpatient appointments
- admit 350 people as inpatients or day patients>
- use enough water to fill 12,200 baths
- treat 230 casualties in A&E
- spend around £900,000
- help deliver 14 babies
There are around 7,500 employees in scores of different jobs keeping the NHS running and these are also supported by around 1,000 volunteers.
Although these huge numbers of people and very interesting facts give you some idea of the size and complexity of the organisation that is devoted to making you feel better and well again, your assistance as a volunteer could add a new dimension to the 'patient experience.'
Volunteers have the time to greet, support and deliver services to patients, quite often on a one to one basis, that will make a difference to the patient getting better more quickly.
The volunteer will receive, in return, an excellent and enjoyable experience helping to make a difference.
What can you do?
Volunteers come from all walks of life and range in ages from 16 to 93. Some choose to help in the League of Friends in the shops and in the tea bars. Others prefer to help on the wards, in the outpatients department, or work alongside the PALS team, join hospital radio, or Radio Lollipop, or quite often support patients and staff as part of a team or work in the backroom offices for those who possibly don't like to be in the public eye. If you are looing for 'something different' there is bound to be a job for you.
Interested? Call Kim Sutton on 023 8079 4688
Radio Lollipop
Radio Lollipop is a separate organisation from Southampton HBA. It is an international charity serving 9 hospitals in the UK, 5 in Australia, 3 in New Zealand and two in America at Miami and Houston Children's Hospitals.
The Southampton team at the General was formed 12 years ago and currently operates on three eveings a week - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, between 6pm and 8pm.
The heart of 'Lollipops' work is the ward visits made by the volunteers. On a typical evening they will talk to and play with the children, distribute puzzles, quizzes and set out competitions as well as collect requests for music.
Often described as a 'serious fun' but just as important, the volunteers will have time to talk to the parents. This may be the first time all day that anxious parents have had the opportunity to talk to someone who is not part of the medical staff, about the normal things in life - sport, fashion, soaps, and the other normal facets of daily life. It really can make a difference.
All of the ward activities are underpinned by the radio shows created specially for the children from the Sound Studio on B level. The music is aimed from 2 to 18 year old children so that's a really varied audience and some of the children are also invited to visit the studio to help with the programmes.
For details call: 023 8079 6062 or visit the website
League of Friends
The League of Friends operate several tea bars and shops around the hospitals.
Trolleys go on their rounds in the mornings and afternoons on weekdays only - loaded with your favourtie papers, sweets, drinks etc. And there is also an early morning paper round trolley but only at the weekends. The League of Friends require volunteers to keep the shops open for more hours.
Opening Times:
- 'The General' Shop
- Monday to Friday: 8.00am - 6.00pm
- Saturday & Sunday: 2.00pm - 6.00pm
- 'Princess Anne' Shop
- Monday to Friday: 10.00am - 4.00pm
- Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED
- Oncology Tea Bar
- Monday to Friday: 9.30am - 2.00pm
- Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED
- D Level Tea Bar
- Monday to Friday: 9.00am - 4.00pm
- Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED
- F Level Tea Bar
- Monday to Friday: 10.00am - 12.30pm
- Plus 'some afternons'
- Princess Anne Tea Bar
- Monday to Friday: 10.00am - 3.00pm
- CLOSED
Want to Join: Call Sallyanne Hurst on 023 8079 6314
mobile: 07914 539914
Links
Click the corresponding logo to visit the site
Patientline
Providing entertainment to patients in hospital
HBA UK
The National Hospital Broadcasting Association
Media UK
The Media Directory
Radio Lollipop
The Childrens Hospital Radio Charity
