‘Transformative’ NHS campaign calls for Devon hospital volunteers as pressures mount

A national campaign to recruit hospital volunteers is being felt across Dartmoor, where rural communities depend on hospitals in Exeter, Newton Abbot, Okehampton and Plymouth for essential care.

Healthcare charity Helpforce is urging people to step forward as ‘response volunteers’ to ease pressure on overstretched NHS services.

A new YouGov poll suggests that more than a quarter of people in the South West would consider giving their time, the equivalent of over 1.2 million potential volunteers.

Volunteers already play a crucial role in the region’s hospitals, with more than 4,500 active across the South West. Their work ranges from transporting blood samples and collecting prescriptions to supporting patients and families on wards. By taking on these non-clinical roles, volunteers free up doctors and nurses to focus on frontline care.

At University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, volunteers have made a particularly strong contribution this year. 

The trust told The Moorlander: “We have 390 volunteers who gave 31,692 hours in over 30 different roles supporting patients and staff in areas such as the Discharge Lounge, the Emergency Department, chemotherapy wards and many more.

“Our volunteers made 31,602 drinks across seven roles and recorded 35,294 interactions with patients, the equivalent of 13 per cent of the Plymouth population.

“Our Active Response volunteers delivered 17,220 medications, facilitating quicker patient discharges, and recorded 3,148,502 steps, the equivalent of 1,403 miles, the distance from Plymouth to Corfu!”

For Poppy, a dedicated volunteer from Princetown, the experience is both rewarding and deeply personal.

“I live in Princetown and currently volunteer at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth,” she said. “I’m passionate about the idea that the NHS is not only here to treat illness but also to support and empower individuals. By encouraging contributions from all areas within its catchment, we can broaden the scope of its impact and ensure it remains an inclusive and representative service.

“My decision to volunteer stems from a deep belief that the NHS is the beating heart of our national community. I feel strongly that by actively participating in its development, and ensuring it evolves in response to the lived experiences of its members, we can better serve our communities.

ABOVE: Poppy lives in Princetown and currently volunteers at Derriford Hospital (Credit: University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust)

“My personal connection to the NHS began in 2013 when my mum was seriously ill with cancer. Spending significant time in hospital during her treatment gave me firsthand insight into the challenges young people face in medical environments. I’m keen to use that experience to help improve areas that I found difficult at the time.

“I also bring a unique perspective, I live in the highest house in Devon! This means I experience all kinds of weather on my journeys to and from my volunteering commitments, from waist-deep snow to horizontal rain. I’ve even been delayed by sheep, cows and horses on occasion, but I take it all in my stride. I aspire to become a nurse in the future, and I know that these small challenges are just the beginning of the resilience and adaptability the role will require.”

The appeal comes as hospitals across Devon face growing demand, with long waiting lists and staff shortages adding to pressures. For rural residents, volunteering can also help bridge the gap created by distance and limited public transport to hospitals, challenges familiar to those living across Dartmoor and its surrounding villages.

Helpforce says that if just two percent of South West residents who expressed interest signed up, NHS trusts across the region could be bolstered by nearly 25,000 additional volunteers, a contribution that could be “transformative.”

With NHS leaders backing the campaign, the hope is that volunteering will become a bigger part of healthcare support in Dartmoor and across the South West, both strengthening local services and offering communities a practical, human way to give back.