With a workforce of well over one million people, the NHS is reputed to be among the biggest five employers in the world. It is also one of the largest volunteer-involving organisations in the UK - a survey a few years ago concluded that there were around 36,000 volunteers involved directly with NHS Trusts.

While the tradition of volunteering in the NHS is long-standing, in recent years the range of opportunities has started to increase significantly.  

As Jo Flood explains in her article about St Thomas', a modern hospital is like a self-contained town and volunteers have a central role in delivering the 'extra' services that can make a huge difference to patients.

There are also many roles for volunteers with specialist skills and opportunities for people interested in developing a career in health services.

"A trial period worked well for one young volunteer at Sheffield Childrens Hospital who was about to apply for medical school," explains Sheila Hawkins, Head of Volunteering (Health and Social Care) at Volunteering England. "She had quickly realised that she didn't want to be a doctor after observing work on the wards and requested an alternative placement. After volunteering in the hospital pharmacy, she is now training to be a pharmacist."

100 roles

Volunteering England lists 100 volunteering roles available in NHS Trusts  around the country, from administrators to yoga teachers. You're likely to find a similar range if you search the do-it database for opportunities in your local area.

Most Trusts have a voluntary services manager who oversees all the volunteering. If you can't find what you're looking for on do-it.org.uk, contact them c/o your local hospital or look for information via the Trust's website.

Other voluntary organisations

Of course, a huge amount of volunteering in health services happens through independent charities rather than directly with the NHS.

As Hannah Jolliffe explains, WRVS has almost 70,000 volunteers and, once again, the range of opportunities is enormous. Likewise, as Jo Flood discovered, with hospices.

Kim Haskins spoke to volunteers whose work is at the sharp end of health services - people involved in emergency response for organisations like St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross.

There are thousands of other organisations listed on do-it that work in health services, across every area of primary and secondary care. 

Recruitment and selection

Most volunteering placements in health services will require you to provide references and to be checked by the Criminal Records' Bureau (CRB).  The organisation you are volunteering with will organise this as part of their recruitment process but it will take some time, so it's worth applying several weeks before you want to start volunteering.

You will also need to provide some kind of personal identification and are likely to be interviewed and be required to undertake some training before you can start.

Having a Criminal Record will not always mean that you can't volunteer in health care settings, but it will depend on the offence and how long ago it was committed.  It's best to be honest about any convictions in your application and discuss this with the Volunteer Manager in your interview, as part of the recruitment process.

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