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Ruth May shadows our volunteers
The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) volunteer team were joined by a new recruit on Friday 3 August, with Ruth May, executive director of nursing at NHS Improvement, donning a volunteer uniform and taking to the floor.
Ruth shadowed ‘bleep’ volunteers at West Suffolk Hospital, so called for the pagers they carry, which mean they can be summoned to any area of the hospital to run errands, pick up drugs from pharmacy, and other small but important tasks that help free up hospital staff to spend more time caring for patients.
Ruth said: “It was a real pleasure meeting some of our wonderful NHS volunteers at West Suffolk Hospital. They showed me the huge benefits of volunteering for the individual themselves, the patients they come into contact with and the staff they support.
“The generosity of spirit and time that volunteers offer can make a real difference and as an organisation, we are pleased to support the volunteer movement within NHS trusts.
“My time with the volunteers at West Suffolk Hospital will inform our work on the national NHS Improvement volunteer strategy, championed by our Chair, Dido Harding. There are a variety of volunteer roles here, including a student programme and I’m keen to encourage more young people to volunteer in the NHS.”
NHS Improvement provides strategic leadership and practical support to NHS trusts, and Ruth also spoke to staff at the Trust’s leadership forum, the ‘Five o’clock Club’, where she outlined NHS Improvement’s national priorities around recruitment and retention; maternity and neonatal safety; and other quality improvement initiatives to support nursing, midwifery and allied health professional leaders to deliver outstanding care.
Jan Bloomfield, director of workforce and communications at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We were delighted to have Ruth visit, and to put her to work with our volunteers. She also gave an inspiring talk to our staff about her own health career path; she is a great example of a committed, experienced and hands-on female leader in the NHS. She gave us lots of ideas about how we can make the Trust an even better place for our staff to work, and sparked discussion around national initiatives that our staff put into practice every day but where we are always looking at ways we can improve.”
If you would be interested in volunteering at West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Hospital, or in the community, then please contact West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust voluntary services on 01284 713169 or email: voluntary.services@wsh.nhs.uk. You can also visit the Trust’s website: www.wsh.nhs.uk
West Suffolk NHS Foundation staff welcome Ruth May to West Suffolk Hospital. From left to right: Sinead Collins, clinical business manager, Ian McKee, voluntary services manager, Lynne Saunders, head of midwifery, Paul Morris, head of patient safety and clinical effectiveness, Ruth May, executive director of nursing at NHS Improvement, Jan Bloomfield, director of workforce and communications and Sara Ennew, professional lead dietitian.
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