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Aspiring young health professionals supporting patients and families

Two aspiring young health professionals are giving up their free time to support patients and families during the Coronavirus crisis. Volunteers Kelsey Clarke, 20, (pictured left) and Isabel Willis, 17, (pictured right), have recently joined the trust’s Family Support Service - a small group of non-clinical volunteers dedicated to helping at UHNM whilst families are unable to see their loved ones due to restricted visiting. Kelsey and Isabel spend two sessions each week delivering personal belongings, letters and photographs to patients on wards across County Hospital and Royal Stoke.

Kelsey, from Stoke-on-Trent, is a Level 4 student studying healthcare practice at Newcastle-under-Lyme College and she aims to commence nurse training in September.

Kelsey said: “This opportunity is really important to me because it provides me with an opportunity to get familiar with the wards and staff at UHNM, where one day I hope to start my career as a registered nurse. I find that volunteering for two mornings each week fits in perfectly with my home studying programme.”

Isabel, from Kidsgrove, is studying A Levels at Newcastle College and will be applying to Keele University to study medicine in September.

Isabel said: “My hope is to be working on the wards as a junior doctor in a few years and I know that gaining this experience will be a really big help.”

Angela Grocott, Head of Patient Experience, said: “We really want to say a big thank you to all of our volunteers who give their time to support patients and relatives, particularly during these challenging times. They not only give updates to relatives on their loved ones’ condition, but they can also be a listening ear for any concerns or worries that they may have. Their work also helps to free up time for our clinical staff on the wards, enabling them to concentrate on providing direct patient care. Our volunteers make a massive difference and we are really grateful for their support and commitment.”

Family Support Officers are available between 8am and 5pm, seven-days-a-week to support patients, their families and teams across UHNM.

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