Frequently Asked Questions

A) You have to be at least 16 to volunteer at the hospital.  There are a few exceptions to this, for example; you have to be over 18 to volunteer in A and E or any maternity areas.

A) We ask our volunteers to offer a minimum of 3 hours a week for at least 6 months.  Many volunteers offer more than this and we are always happy for you to offer as much time as you are able.

A) Unfortunately, due to the time and cost impact on recruiting volunteers, we are unable to take on volunteers for such short period of times. However, there are always opportunities available so that you are able to provide your time in the evenings and weekends during school terms.

A) There are plenty of opportunities available to our volunteers including on wards, in clinics, or in administration areas. We are happy for volunteers to experience a mixture of different roles, however, we do however ask that volunteers stay in each role for at least 4 weeks.

A) All volunteers are able to reclaim back travelling expenses i.e. fuel cost/public transport costs/parking charges, up to the value of £8.00 for each volunteering shift.

A) All volunteers are supplied with a red polo shirt for use whilst volunteering. You will then just need to keep in line with the trusts uniform policy which requests that you not wear denim, anything with logos, bottoms with rips or tears, or open toed footwear. You will also need to remove any jewellery worn below the elbow (with the exception of a Kara or plain wedding band) and nail polish or false nails. If your hair is longer than chin length, you will also be required to tie this back in clinical areas.

A) We will make every effort we can to ensure that you are able to volunteer with us. During the interview and clearance process, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions specific to your own health or support needs that might impact your volunteering role. Please be aware however that there may be instances where volunteering with us may not be possible.

A) The safety of our patients, staff and volunteers is of utmost importance. As a result, there are a number of checks that go in place before anyone is able to start volunteering at Northampton General Hospital. On average, the time taken between interview and starting is 4-6 weeks. The time taken is dependent on a variety of factors including;

• Your return of the required signed documents and requested ID,
• completion of your Occupational Health portal,
• time taken for your referees to respond,
• soon the DBS certificate takes to return,
• time taken for you to complete the trusts online training course.

A) Volunteering is a long term commitment requiring 3-4 hours a week or a minimum of 6 months. This allows you to make a real difference to patients and support the staff during your time volunteering with us. Volunteering does not involve shadowing nurses or doctors.

A) For the majority of roles, no prior experience is required to become a volunteers and we take pride in the fact that many people use volunteering as an opportunity to gain the experience required to further their career in health care. Please note; if you wish to help as a Volunteer Administrator, we do request a basic level of computer literacy.

A) We can only provide a reference for you once you have volunteered for six months. If you require a reference before these six months then we will consider this on an individual basis.

A) No. All NHS trusts have their own recruitment process and it is therefore not possible to transfer between sites. The only exception is with Kettering General Hospital as we are part of the same group.

A) Please contact us if you have any further questions. You can use any of the details on the ‘Contact us’ page to speak to a member of the Volunteer Services team.