Special recognition for City Hospitals Sunderland volunteers

City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has paid tribute to its volunteers by throwing them a celebratory afternoon tea to mark Volunteers’ Week.

The Trust has a team of around 200 people who volunteer their time to support patients at Sunderland Royal Hospital and Sunderland Eye Infirmary.

Roles include working in the Trust’s Help and Advice Service, navigating patients to the right department, helping patients to complete patient satisfaction surveys and helping out in wards. In addition, volunteers also make a significant contribution in the hospital’s Macmillan Cancer Support Centre, RVS café, shops and trolley service, Chaplaincy and local hospital radio.

The volunteers were treated to sandwiches and cakes as well as a celebration cake made by the catering team. They also received thanks from the Trust’s Director of Nursing and Patient Experience, Melanie Johnson.

Melanie said: “Our volunteers make a significant contribution to the Trust. Their hard work and friendliness really does help to enhance the experience that our patients families and carers have whilst at the Trust. Whilst they are not involved directly in patient care, they provide amazing support to our team and we are extremely grateful for everyone that they do.

“Many of our volunteers have given over 20 years of service to the Trust. However, no matter if they have been here 20 years, 2 years or 2 weeks, they are equally valued as part of the City Hospitals Team and I genuinely don’t know what we would do without them.”

You don’t need any previous experience of the NHS to become a volunteer, just good communications skills and the ability to work well as a team. All volunteers must be over 17 years of age. To find out more about volunteering at City Hospitals Sunderland visit the website at https://chsft.nhs.uk/working-with-us/volunteering.