Information for potential volunteers
The Patients Council is a group advocacy organisation which operates independently from the NHS and exists to represent the views of hospital service users. Most of our volunteers are former or current service users themselves. The aim of the Patients Council is to push for improvements within the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, according to the suggestions and opinions of the service users.
As a volunteer, you would be helping the Patients Council as part of a friendly, caring team of dedicated people. The Patients Council offers training for all volunteers. Your duties might include visiting wards to meet patients and discuss any issues which are worrying them; participating in collective advocacy meetings and in Patients Council meetings; helping to promote the work of the Patients Council and raise awareness of our activities, both among service users and the wider public.
Some of the tasks which volunteers are working on at the moment include:
- supporting people to participate in meetings and share their views
- social media and updating the website
- taking notes
- helping with admin and reporting
- campaigning on specific issues
- accompanying people to meetings
- assisting with research.
The Patients Council organises regular meetings, drop-in sessions, working groups, social events and workshops. Our volunteers are an invaluable part of the team. Helping service users to improve their experience of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital is an enormously rewarding occupation. If you are interested in volunteering or would like to receive some more information, please fill in the contact form below or send us an email at info@rehpatientscouncil.org.uk