Tricia Oates - Royal Free Charity Discharge Assistant Volunteer What made you decide to volunteer? I used to work in public health NHS as a healthy schools coordinator of 85 schools. I always knew that when I retired I would continue to work with people and in the NHS. I spent 14 years in the NHS and 20 years as a teacher. I am now officially retired but work 12 hours a week hosting and stewarding people to concerts at The Royal Festival Hall. Tell us about your volunteering I set aside every Tuesday for the Royal Free and I am proud to call myself a volunteer there. It is very rewarding to be able to give something back. My role is to help in the discharge lounge where patients come off the wards ready to go home. We make them comfortable with refreshments and a chat as they wait for all the necessary arrangements to be made for their discharge. I might be sent to the pharmacy to collect their medication or to the wards to collect prescriptions which I need to record and get authorised by the professionals. I have been trained to push a wheelchair so I also am able to collect patients from the wards and bring them to the discharge lounge. This is such a valuable role as it really can speed up the time that the patient waits to be discharged. Caroline Cahill and her discharge team are an extremely efficient and welcoming and I feel that I belong in the team and am really making a difference.
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Neha – Barnet Hospital Ward Assistant Volunteer It’s 5pm on a Tuesday in May. I am waiting anxiously outside the volunteer’s office with my purple t-shirt and ID badge. Brad, the volunteer’s manager greets me excitedly and proceeds to lead me upstairs to the ward I would be volunteering at every week for 6 months. I dump my stuff and look into the mirror, so many questions and emotions flooding through my head, ‘what if I say the wrong thing?’, ‘what if no one wants to talk to me?’ I enter the ward I see nurses talking and walking around; family members, having animated conversations with their loved ones and staff rushing around doing their bit, just what I had expected. As a hopeful medical student, had done some work experience before, shadowing doctors, but to be a part of the experience was very exciting for me. I enter one of the bays in the Juniper Ward, a ward for elderly patients. I see a woman in the corner, she sits their lonely, staring into the space. I pluck up the courage to speak to my very first patient, I think back to the staff induction, a lady had told us to always introduce ourselves to the patient, I remember the ‘Hi, my name is...’ campaign. I start ‘Hi my name is Neha’. No response. ‘Can I get you anything?’ she stares at me blankly ‘I can’t hear you’ she says I repeat the question ‘WHAAT speak louder.’ I begin to feel sweaty and flustered, after a few moments of her trying to figure out what I was trying to say the nurse steps in and tells me not to worry. I feel a little disheartened at this point, as I had made a patient feel uncomfortable, nevertheless. I continue to look for another patient to talk to. I see another woman in the corner of another bay. I walk over and say hi. We then engage in a conversation; she tells me all about her childhood and memories. I smile, because I can see the happiness in her eyes as she tells me these stories. The look in her eyes changes as she talks about one specific memory of the war. Her son takes over and as I step back, I get a warm feeling, I had made a bond with a patient. Minutes have passed, I introduce myself to the ladies in the kitchen. They ask me if I would like to do a soup round. I nod my head eagerly; I proceed to wheel around the tray of tomato soup. Communication is a key skill in being a ward assistant, a skill that I was keen on improving through becoming one. I smile whenever I can, to spread positivity through the ward. I try to talk to some of the patients and nurses while doing it and overall, I enjoy it. I make my way around, talking to as many patients as I can. My last job is the tea round and then my time draws to a close. I leave with a feeling of warmth and happiness, I feel that I have done a good thing, I have made patients feel more comfortable in a sometimes lonely and unexpected place such as a hospital. I look into the same mirror, the questions of doubt have turned into positive thoughts, I look forward to next week. Architha - Barnet Hospital Charity Ward Assistant Volunteer
Good afternoon everyone! My name is Architha and I’m an A level student from Copthall School. I started volunteering for Barnet Hospital on the 20th of December 2017 and it’s the best thing I’ve done! I work on a geriatric ward, spending time with elderly people and I look forward to it every week. The best thing about it is having lovely conversations with amazing people who’ve done so much in life. Yesterday a patient was reminiscing about her acrobatic dancing days and her whole face lit up with joy as she told me about her various performances. A few weeks ago, I met a patient who had tremors in her hands so she needed assistance eating. This lady was so determined to eat on her own and she finished her meal all by herself. The sense of accomplishment on her face was so inspiring. Special moments like this make me feel so happy that I’ve made a difference in their lives, even if it’s a very small one. Volunteering on the ward also involves serving food and beverages, buying newspapers, getting staff attention when a patients need something and just generally being a helpful extra person. These menial things can bring a smile to their faces and really make a huge difference in the long days’ people spend in hospital. Another great thing about being a volunteer is fundraising. On the 17th of March, we went to Barnet Football Club to raise money to fund massage therapy for oncology patients. It was snowing that day and we were all freezing but the morale was amazing and everyone was so resilient despite the frozen toes. We raised £147 which is amazing for a snowy day. Volunteering has boosted my confidence a lot. I remember the first time Brad took me to the ward in December and introduced me to the staff. They were really welcoming and friendly and they would always ask me if I’m okay. One of the Healthcare Assistants would jokingly ask me to ‘pay him’ to take food into an isolation room, but he was really nice. After I served dinner, I was standing around awkwardly, unsure of what to do and how to start a conversation with someone. Now I’m much more confident and comfortable in approaching patients and I love how valuable the small conversations are. Being a volunteer means being part of the NHS community, a community that saves lives and I love being a part of it. On July 6th the Prime Minister recognised Royal Free Charity young volunteer Malavika Bangera for supporting patients with live music.
Malavika volunteers at the Royal Free Hospital where she has been instrumental to the success of a project which incorporates live music into daily hospital activity. A keen musician, Malavika first witnessed the positive effect music can have on patients when she produced arrangements of classic songs for Barnet General Hospital’s dementia cafe. Excited by what she saw, she began visiting wards with her guitar to perform for patients. The sixteen year old supported the work to design a sustainable music programme and helped establish it at the Royal Free, ensuring its future success and inspiring talented local musicians to volunteer. Live gigs take place in communal areas at the hospital, including the main reception and discharge lounge, and on many of the wards. Malavika continues to perform regularly and has secured a place to study Medicine at King’s College London from September. Malavika is the latest recipient of the Points of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. Each day, someone, somewhere in the country is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements. Malavika said, “I am immensely grateful and honoured to have received the Points of Light award from the Prime Minister. My volunteering experience at the Royal Free Hospital with the Royal Free Charity Live Music programme has made me realise how powerful the impact of music can be. It was absolutely amazing to witness patients and their carers as well as staff members enjoying my music, and sharing precious moments of happiness together.” As part of the celebrations for the 70th Anniversary of the NHS, volunteers who are making a real difference within the health and care sector are being recognised over seven days by the Prime Minister. Malavika was invited to an NHS70 roundtable and official reception at No.10 Downing Street on the 5th July, where she was presented with her certificate by the Prime Minister. In a personal letter to Malavika, Prime Minister Theresa May said, “Your contribution to shaping the innovative ‘Live Music’ project is bringing joy to hundreds of patients and their families at a difficult time for many. You should be proud of the important contribution you have made to this exciting programme. As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS I want to wish you the very best for your medical studies ahead as you continue to support the health service of which we are all so proud.” Royal Free Charity young volunteer Malavika Bangera was awarded ‘Volunteer of the Year’ at the Royal Free London Oscars awards on Wednesday 20th of June.
Malavika has been volunteering with the charity for 2 years and received the top volunteering honour for her work using music to make a significant impact on the hospital experience for patients and visitors. She has played for many patients with dementia learning songs from patient’s childhoods that encourages them to sit up, clap, sing along and suggest new songs. She has secured a place to study Medicine at Kings College London from September, and is a true ambassador for the NHS and youth social action. Royal Free Charity CEO Chris Burghes said: “Young people are such an important part of our volunteering programme and it is fantastic to see a wonderful young lady recognised for her hard work and commitment.” Barnet Hospital Charity volunteer Sue Young was awarded runner up for her tireless work with patients at Barnet Hospital. Sue has been volunteering at the hospital for 19 years supporting patients on a weekly basis in the cardiology ward, fundraising in the community and plays an important role in the running of the monthly Lindsey Café for elderly and dementia patients. Nearly 300 members of staff, including nurses, cleaners, doctors, midwives, porters, and clinical support staff, volunteers and charity staff, attended the Oscars ceremony. Throughout the evening more than 30 awards were handed out to staff who had made a significant contribution to patient care and the life of the Royal Free London in 2017. Barnet Hospital Charity Community Fundraiser Carla Bispham was awarded a high commendation for her outstanding contribution to the Royal Free Charity. Carla works tirelessly at Barnet Hospital and in the community going above and beyond to improve every patients experience through fundraising for specific pieces of equipment or to improve different areas in the hospital, organising events and taking the time to listen to the needs of patients and staff. To see a full list of the winners visit - https://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/news-media/news/celebrating-our-world-class-winners-at-the-royal-free-london-annual-awards/ Maureen Brown - Barnet Hospital Charity SatNav Guide Volunteer
Volunteers have many different motivations for why they choose to give their time to help others. For some it’s a way for them to support their local community or to gain experience in a work place or, like Barnet Hospital volunteer Maureen Brown, to say thank you to those who have helped them. Maureen has been a volunteer at Barnet Hospital for 17 years. She started off as a chaplaincy volunteer then moved to the reception desk and is now a SatNav Guide helping patient’s find their way around the hospital. “The Royal Free saved my life. I was completely paralyzed and spent 5 months on the high dependency unit. With the help of the amazing staff at the Royal Free I have done very well. Volunteering is my way of saying thank you,” said Maureen. Maureen is a qualified accountant and worked in the computer industry helping companies to use accountancy software when it first became available. After being made redundant and being struck down by illness she lost a lot of confidence. By volunteering she was able to come out of her shell again and rebuild that confidence. “When I was on the reception desk people couldn’t see my wheelchair, but once we were moved from behind the reception desk to the new SatNav role I had to approach people and felt very shy. But I stuck at it and really came out of my shell,” said Maureen. Maureen used to live in Hampstead but for the past 20 years has lived in Barnet and wanted to help give something back to her local hospital. Beverley & Peter - Royal Free Charity Book Trolley Volunteers A keen and dedicated small group of volunteers look after and take a book trolley to the wards at the Royal Free on a daily basis. Packed with a great selection of books the volunteers visit patients to borrow or chat about novels. There are book boxes on each ward for returns. Every few months we hold a book sale in the Atrium to raise money and pass on older books. Beverley Joining the Royal Free Library team as a volunteer was one of the best things I did since I retired from working for an airline for 35 years in 2005. I have loved reading since I was a child and it has given me endless pleasure throughout my life and sharing this passion with patients is so satisfying. It delights me to select a book from the trolley which I think might interest a patient and see a face light up with interest - I don’t always get it right but that’s amusing too. Of course we are lucky that so many authors live in our area and when we admire the wonderful views from the ward windows, if a patient is a Spy genre aficionado like me I mention the ‘dead-letter boxes’ on the Heath in John Le Carre’s novels. Another delight for us is discovering patients or staff who are themselves published authors and we are fortunate that they have donated their books to the Book Service. The book trolley is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ but we had lots of laughs at the time of the notorious ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ when many male patients joked about not being readers but would be very interested in that book - we admit that we had three donated copies! Sometimes our patients have sight problems but they enjoy talking about books and authors and we can provide talking books for them. And then there are the Kindle readers who are enthusiastic about their books even though they’re doing us out of a job! But most reading patients still love to feel the book in their hands and to have the satisfaction of choosing it from our trolley. Peter
I am Peter and have worked as part of the hospital’s book service for 15 years. I especially enjoy interaction with the patients, discussing tastes and preferences. The personal reasons behind choices are always very interesting. A patient recently chose Penelope Fitzgerald’s Human Voices, set in the BBC during the War, because she worked in Bush House at that time, broadcasting to the Far East. I am an enthusiastic reader and my favourite contemporary writers are John Le Carre, Rose Tremain, William Boyd and Jonathan Coe. Arabella Zuckerman - Royal Free Charity Volunteer On the 23rd March, we enjoyed going back to sing at the Royal Free as part of the live music program. A small choir from North London Collegiate we've been to the Royal Free, Chase Farm, and UCLH, and on this occasion we were returning to sing in the lobby to raise money (and spirits) at the Royal Free. I started the choir, Bella Voce, at my school two years ago. A passionate singer and member of many choirs, I wanted to share our music outside of the school with the wider community. I believe that music can have a healing, feel good effect and brighten up people's day, even if just for a few minutes. During our performances, I always appreciate people taking a moment from their day to listen, donate, and even join in, particularly at Christmas time. As a volunteer, I have also enjoyed bringing music to the wards, armed with a ukulele and my friend who sings alto. It is always really lovely to see patients and staff joining in together- we've had staff members dancing to 'Can't help falling in love', and we once adapted one of our Christmas songs halfway through as a patient pointed out it was Hanukkah - this was super funny for everyone who passed by and the patient really enjoyed our new version! It is such a positive and uplifting experience singing on the wards, and with the choir by the reception, and I look forward to volunteering more in the future. Karis Jones - Patient Environment Auditor/Housekeeper - Ward 10 East, Royal Free Hospital
The ward we work on is very demanding and fast paced we usually have different volunteers that come on a daily basis, but Rose has been with us for almost a year now and without Rose’s extra help we certainly would be under a little more pressure. Rose comes in and gets stuck in right away relieving me of a few tasks such as tea rounds, rolling the cutlery and ward top up so I can go on to help the health care assistants and nurses in their tasks with patients. It allows me to get stuck into the harder tasks on hand like finding emergency stock and maintenance work. Rose will go out of her way to see if anyone needs a hand or if any of the patients just want a friendly chat and speaking for the team we cannot express how much weight this takes off our shoulders! She has become a part of our team and we wouldn’t change her for the world. Doris Ajayi – Clinical Skills Facilitator – Dementia Care (Barnet/Chase Farm) – praises volunteers for their support of the Lindsey’s Café initiative. I was inspired to open a dementia café after a visit to the ‘Dementia Club UK’ at Finchley Memorial Hospital. I had been working as Dementia Skill Facilitator for 2 years and was aware of the national issues surrounding hospital boredom and isolation and was determined to do something about it. I had no doubt in my mind that opening a café would make a massive impact on the lives of those with dementia, elderly patients, their families, friends and carers. But I also knew it would create and develop relationships and team bonding within the staff. I discussed the idea and the importance of including entertainment into every session with Lindsey McKenna - Senior Matron, Nirmala Evans -Clinical Practice Educator, and the health services for the elderly patients (HSEP) ward managers. They were very enthusiastic and supportive! The next hurdle was figuring out how we would fund this and who will help to run it. Upon meeting Carla Bispham - Barnet Hospital Charity Community Fundraiser, Brad De Abreu - Young Volunteer Programme Coordinator and Beverley Smith - Volunteer Team Manager they quickly jumped on board. At this point it was as if we were on a magic train running full steam ahead on our way to making a difference to patient’s experiences. The café now runs once a month in the corridor on level 3 of Barnet Hospital. It couldn’t run without the help of our fantastic hospital volunteers. With their assistance tables and chairs are set up with decorative table cloths and crockery laid out, just like a banquet. There is music playing and the whole atmosphere changes; any time staff or relatives walk by they can’t help but smile and dance along. Everyone has warm smiles and the shine of the volunteers’ purple uniform brings a sense of comfort, care, support and reassurance to patients and staff. Our volunteers encounter patients who have no friends and relatives or who live far away and are unable to visit them. It can be a difficult experience to struggle with an illness alone and as a volunteer you are devoting your time to someone you may not know or have never met. This is something I find very remarkable and humbling. Not only do volunteers serve tea, coffee and snacks, they also join in and engage patients, carers and relatives in singing, dancing, conversations and sharing life experiences, irrespective of their age. It is a great privilege to have volunteers who are selfless and warm-hearted Our patients with dementia can find it difficult to recall events that take place daily, but have no trouble remembering things/events from the past. The symptoms of dementia include; confusion, finding difficulty in carrying out daily tasks, such as washing and dressing themselves, altered perception etc. Occasionally, some of our patients feel agitated and unsettled due to the unfamiliar environment they are in. I remember attempting to bring a patient from the ward to the café, who initially was not engaging in conversation, displaying clear signs of disinterest. The moment volunteer Sue said, ‘shall we go to the café’ the patient’s face lit up! In no time, this patient was dancing and singing along to the music. This illustrates the exact purpose and benefits of the café and the amazing volunteers we have. There is something magical and moving about music particularly for patients with dementia. Music is relaxing and reminds them of past poignant memories. This is why having a variety of musical entertainment at each café is very crucial. We have had opera singers, a wonderful Frank Sinatra impersonator, who sang live to the fashion show, where staff dressed in different cultural outfits. Barnet nursery crèche also came along to sing once too. At each session our volunteers are the soul train that light up the atmosphere with their smile, care and magic touch. You can see from both the patients and volunteers faces that they really enjoy themselves. For the patient the opportunity to forget hospital treatment and being away from the ward for a moment of socialisation brings such a great sense of emotional and psychological fulfillment.
I must say that the café has had a huge positive impact on all our unwell patients and patients with dementia. The staff and volunteers create such a happy genuine environment which is heart-warming to everyone who attends. To cap it all, ‘no volunteers, no café’! |