A Stockton man has been put forward as a finalist for a national award which recognises volunteers in the healthcare sector.
71-year-old David Layfield is a familiar face to patients and staff at the University Hospital of North Tees. A former military man and retired security guard, he has been volunteering in the hospital’s main outpatient department for more than four years now.
His tenure began as he retired from two decades in security at Castlegate Shopping Centre – when a cousin suggested he should ‘give volunteering a go’.
Now, David is just one of three people across the UK to be shortlisted for ‘Volunteer of the Year’ at this year’s Skills for Health’s Our Health Heroes awards. With hundreds of nominations, the award recognises those who give their time to support healthcare, make a positive difference to patients and inspire those around them.
David said: “When one of the volunteer team told me I’d been shortlisted, I just couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.
“Before I started volunteering, I was in bad shape mental health-wise. Now when I finish my volunteering and I go home, I know I’ve done something worthwhile and I’m pleased with what I’ve done – I find it rewarding.
“I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else now and I’ve never needed to look back.”
David’s ‘pure joy’
As a volunteer, David welcomes patients to the outpatient unit, helping them check in for their appointment and finding their way through the department. He is also a volunteer responder where he is on-call to support with tasks that would take NHS staff away from caring duties. This includes collecting medication from the pharmacy, delivering samples to the lab and transferring patients when they are ready to leave hospital.
He was nominated for the award by the hospital’s volunteer coordination team for not just his dedication to his role, but also for inspiring the patients, staff and volunteers around him. Part of his nomination reads: “For us, David stands out from the crowd as we see the pure joy that helping others has given to him.”
David will attend the Our Health Heroes awards ceremony in London on Wednesday 17 June.
David continued: “If anybody’s interested in volunteering, I would recommend North Tees. Whether you’re retired like me or someone going to college and considering working in health – this is the place to be.”