A CALL has gone out for volunteers to help make a difference to patients at Bradford’s hospitals by manning a new information desk.

Every month new volunteers are recruited and matched up with opportunities at Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI), St Luke’s and the city’s three community hospitals but a new project is in the offing that will need more helping hands.

Voluntary services nurse manager Chris Heaton said an information health desk would be opening in the main foyer at BRI’s Duckworth Lane entrance in the autumn, to signpost patients and the public to where they could find out about their health, care or hospital services.

“There will be computers to pull up information from various websites as well as paper information,” she said, and added other volunteers were also needed to help collect patient feedback to improve the hospitals’ work even more.

Information asking about patients’ experiences was collected on iPads by the volunteers and fed back to individual wards and outpatient units to give them a pat on the back or suggest how things could be made better, said Ms Heaton.

The next round of volunteering opportunities will be posted this week on the volunteers link at bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk/about/staff.

“As well as those volunteers we need patient support volunteers who have some spare time to help with extras on the wards and units, like helping people eat or making a bed up. It’s the little things that make a big difference,” said Ms Heaton.

There are 540 volunteers who give up more than 100,000 hours of their own time spread across Bradford hospitals. Out of that number, 100 were aged 17 to 24, said Ms Heaton.

She added: “Anyone is welcome, of any age, as long as they are 17 or above. There’s no age limit as long as people are fit and well and willing to help.”

Anyone interested must have three to four hours a week to spare, usually on the same day of the week so rotas can be planned.

Volunteer opportunities cover roles including way-finders to guide patients and visitors around the hospitals, reception helpers, tea bar assistants and child play assistants.