The NHS (the free universal healthcare system in the UK) has been under a lot of pressure in recent years. The reasons vary, but economists often attribute this situation to the very unfortunate coincidence of Brexit: the UK's withdrawal from the European Union and the COVID-19 Pandemic.
As a result, it has become difficult for the government to provide the salaries for enough medical staff and the waiting lists for patients needing care have become ever longer.
The long term solution to such problems is obviously to increase resources to the NHS, since demand is unlikely to decrease at any point. This increase in resources would have to come from somewhere however…
As it stands, there isn’t much to go round in the government's budget, meaning that the strain is twofold.
Not only is there not enough money to provide NHS services to meet demand, but the same budgetary problems in the education sector mean that new doctors, nurses, and paramedics are less likely to receive the education they need to fulfil the quota for new NHS staff.
The onus is instead on the community itself to muster up solutions to the problem, since the issue of healthcare is not one that can await a budget miracle.
This is where the work of healthcare volunteers provides a much-needed relief to both patients and healthcare employees, whose needs continue to persist in spite of solutions or lack thereof.
How healthcare volunteers have stepped up
‘Healthcare volunteer’ might sound like an insignificant role in the grand scheme of things, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
If we think about the time and tasks dedicated to each patient, it quickly becomes obvious that much time can be saved by delegating as many tasks as possible, so long as they can be completed by someone other than a professional.
To put this another way, all of the handling of medicine dosages, surgeries, prescriptions, administration etc should of course be handled only by qualified staff. But preparation of meals, cleaning and sanitising of hospitals, emotional support, etc…, can easily be handled by somebody else.
If you’re a working person, you’ll know that jobs often involve numerous time-consuming activities that aren’t necessarily in your job description, yet need to be completed regularly nevertheless.
This is just as true for the medical sector, so volunteers can play a vital role in alleviating professionals of these hindrances.
Ultimately, making the NHS budget go further by allowing staff to spend more time doing the important part of their work, saving lives and protecting the health of the nation.
Why do volunteers work for free?
“What’s in it for the volunteers?” is a perfectly valid question, especially since many people live such busy lives nowadays that the idea of sparing their precious time for free might seem out of the question.
The answer lies in the counter-intuitive fact that nothing is truly free. In reality, there is much to be gained from volunteering work, and not just for the NHS, but for the volunteer workers themselves. Let’s have a look at some of the motivations and benefits that drive volunteers to do the good work they earn their praise for.
Work experience
A good amount of volunteer workers in the NHS are young people who are prospectively looking for a career in the healthcare industry.
Volunteering is a perfect way for them to immerse themselves into the environment that they hope to work in further down the line.
For volunteers under 18, this kind of work is not sacrificing much in the realm of pay, since the money young workers can make is considerably limited in most other jobs.
Social benefits
Volunteering is a great way for workers and especially young people to develop social skills and confidence in the workplace without the pressure of losing anything if they don’t perform to a harsh standard. It’s a chance for them to learn and make mistakes, which as educators in all contexts will tell you, is key to learning and improving.
Outside of skills and experience, volunteering is also a way for participants to meet with and spend time with different people than their work or school environments.
At a young age, it’s more important to socialise and make the connections and friendships that will form the supportive framework for the rest of one's complicated adult life. But just because young people benefit the most from this, doesn’t mean that the chance to meet new people and share a common passion with strangers isn’t equally appealing to volunteers of all ages.
Higher Purpose
Sometimes, volunteering needn’t serve any other purpose than giving a person something positive and meaningful to do. Perhaps it’s in our instincts to need to feel like we’re contributing, and maybe it’s just something left over from the early days of our species, but that doesn’t make it an easier pill to swallow.
Volunteering work, especially in a sector as altruistic as the medical one, can help fill a void in our lives.
This is exemplified by the impact that volunteering can have in the life of a depressed person. Humans often have a hard time moving through their day-to-day lives without a purpose, however it may manifest.
Even if the volunteering work isn’t financially sustainable, it can serve as a vehicle for certain people to re-enter the world of work and get their lives as productive members of society back on track.
The increasing necessity of volunteer work
Understanding and appreciating volunteer work is more important than ever, considering that as time goes on, it might become a more and more prevalent form of occupation. Automation and abundance is the culprit of this increase.
Due to the rapid increase in automation and the breakneck pace of development in AI and robotics, the amount of profitable work in primary and secondary industries alike are sure to dwindle. This means that eventually, our physical needs will be fulfilled by automated systems, leaving a shortage of paying jobs.
While it is overall a freeing and comforting idea, the fact that people might not need to work in the future is sure to leave many people void of purpose.
As explained earlier, it’s not in our human nature to be healthy and happy while sitting around doing nothing. As a result, the nature of work will gradually shift from that which is necessary for survival, to that which is driven by passion and imagination.
There is also the problem that the infrastructure of the economy is based on a supply and demand need for jobs, which are more than ever ceasing to exist. Those who are currently in a position to forgo a salary and volunteer instead are the key players who will help accelerate the distribution of remaining pay to those who need it.
Other ways to give back in the UK
Directly working as a volunteer, whether it be for the NHS, or for a different cause entirely, is certainly a respectable and valiant thing to do, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Before we get into some of the other ways that UK citizens can give back to their community, it is important to note that good work isn’t only good because it’s free.
In fact, many salaried jobs are extremely valuable to the economy for the economic growth, or the services that they provide. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t have time to volunteer yourself, especially if you are in a business or industry that has a positive impact on society, the environment, or the economy.
Donations
If one has the disposable income available to make charitable donations, this can be a very simple yet effective way to contribute to positive change without needing to put in the hours of work associated with volunteer work. Donations are in fact what makes volunteer work possible in many cases.
A surprising number of people are also unaware that it is a possibility to directly donate to the government, and there is probably no more direct way to support one's country than doing so.
With donations, it is important to carefully choose the recipient charity or organisation. In the past, many seemingly virtuous schemes have been exposed for internal corruption, or for spending the money from donations on irrelevant or downright criminal expenses.
The best charities to spend on are those which make it clear where the received money is used.
Sharing information
The last action we’ll briefly cover that can have a surprising amount of impact is the act of sharing information, and opportunities with other people.
Many people don’t volunteer, or make an active effort to give back to the NHS or wider society, simply because they aren’t aware of the options available to do so, or maybe they are unaware of the benefits they might receive from doing so.
If you aren’t in a position to directly participate yourself, it is still helpful to spread awareness among your community.
Afterword
Thank you for reading this article about healthcare volunteers and their impact/role in society. We hope you managed to learn, or at least better understand, something and invite you to take a look through the many other articles here on the Superprof blog. We’re sure you’ll find something you like.
See you again soon!
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