Volunteering in NHS Scotland Annual Report 2023-24
Our annual report sets out key activity undertaken by the NHS Scotland Volunteering Programme in 2023-24.
The value of NHS Scotland volunteering
NHS Scotland volunteers give their time to almost every NHS board in Scotland, making a meaningful difference to staff, patients and their families in a huge variety of ways.
Volunteers provide support in hospital wards and outpatient departments. They assist patients and visitors to find their way around, tend gardens, provide befriending and listening services. They are also Community First Responders providing lifesaving intervention before an ambulance arrives, or they are Public Partners helping Healthcare Improvement Scotland to
create guidelines and standards.
These are just a few examples of the ways which volunteers contribute to NHS Scotland. Every volunteer who chooses to give their time contributes to the considerable impact that volunteering has on NHS Scotland.
In 2023-24 NHS Scotland volunteers gifted 584,000 hours of their time (an increase of 21% on 2022-23), contributing the equivalent of £11.5 million to Scotland’s economy (53% increase) (calculated using Volunteer Scotland’s formula).
An average of 3,485 volunteers participated each month in 2022-23 (19% increase).
Experiences of NHS Scotland volunteers
Volunteer Managers from NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Fife, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside and worked together on a pilot of an NHS Scotland Volunteer Experience Survey, supported by the NHS Scotland Volunteering Programme Team.
The purpose of the survey was to take a consistent approach to gathering data on volunteer’s experiences of volunteering within their NHS board, and for the entire data set to be analysed at a national level against the principles of the Volunteering for All: National Outcomes Framework.
A total of 1,557 volunteers were invited to participate in the survey. Responses were received from 460 people (30% response rate).
- 95% of NHS Scotland volunteers feel able to give their time on their own terms
- 99% enjoy taking part in volunteering
- 97% enjoy the experience of volunteering
- 95% feel valued for what they bring
- 93% feel that their knowledge, skills and experiences are respected and utilised
- 92% felt that their volunteering makes a difference
The staff I work with have been fabulous. They treat me as a colleague and include me in events. My mental health has improved as I am no longer so lonely.
NHS Scotland volunteer
Improving practice in volunteering
Volunteers across NHS Scotland carry out a wide variety of roles across the country, improving patient experience, adding value and freeing up staff time.
These volunteers are supported by volunteer managers, co-ordinators and administrators who ensure that volunteering is continually developed, managed safely and provides the best possible experience for those who choose to give their time to NHS Scotland.
We developed an Exploring Best Practice guide which can be a reference tool for experienced volunteer managers, or to help to build knowledge, skills and confidence for staff who are new to volunteer management.
Content within the guide may also be helpful for teams who support the recruitment of volunteers such as HR teams and Occupational Health teams. While the guide has been written to support staff managing volunteers in hospital settings, much of the content is applicable for other healthcare settings such as health and social care partnerships.
NHS Scotland Volunteering Practitioners Network
The programme provides a range of support to NHS boards on issues related to volunteering via its Volunteering Practitioners Network including a Community of Practice; peer networking; practice development opportunities; regular communication and updates on volunteering related matters, providing a Volunteering Helpdesk and developing guidance and resources to support volunteering in NHS Scotland.
In 2023-24 the programme:
- responded to 162 requests for advice and support
- hosted 6 peer support networking sessions
- delivered one hybrid learning and networking event
- facilitated two virtual practice development sessions
- trained 17 new users of the Volunteering Information System
- hosted webinars in Volunteers' Week and International Volunteers' Day
NHS Scotland Volunteering Advisory Board
The NHS Scotland Volunteering Advisory Board provides a strategic steer to the Volunteering in NHS Scotland Programme and provides leadership, advice and guidance for volunteering across NHS Scotland.
During 2023-24 the advisory board has:
- provided leadership support for the business case for a new Volunteering Management System for NHS Scotland
- carried out focussed work on identifying strategic risks to volunteering
- contributed to the refreshed strategic vision for the NHS Scotland Volunteering Programme
- influenced the revisions to the NHS Scotland Volunteer Out of Pocket Expenses Guidance
- made recommendations to all NHS boards on the level of reimbursement for mileage rates for volunteers
Looking forward to 2024-25
Priorities for the coming year include:
- progressing the Volunteer Management System project
- building evidence through the Volunteer Experience Survey and piloting NHS staff Experiences of Volunteers survey
- scoping the training and education needs of volunteers and staff who engage and manage volunteers
- considering how we can embed Quality Improvement approaches and methods in volunteering