A group of volunteers have gained full time employment with a local hospital, taking up new roles as team support workers.
Lynsey Richardson, Becky Foster and Alice Pearce are just four members of a group of volunteers turned new recruits at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Hospital Foundation Trust where they will be supporting clinical staff during the ongoing pandemic.
An extra pair of hands
Working as ‘an extra pair of hands’ on the wards, the trio will join 62 other team support workers offering compassionate care to patients at both University Hospital of Hartlepool and University Hospital of North Tees.
Lynsey Richardson, 42, from Stockton, volunteered for six months before being employed by the Trust. She said: “It’s been an aspiration for a long time to work in health and I’m looking forward to working with the multi-disciplinary team in supporting patient care. I’m just really excited for this new role.”
Patient care
28-year-old Becky Foster, from Bowburn in Durham, commented: “I’ve always wanted to work within a hospital setting, but I had not had any experience. I started volunteering during the pandemic to help those on the front line.
“I really want to work for the NHS. While volunteering, I learned how much I loved it. I love working with people and helping care for people is a massive passion of mine.”
Commitment to patient care is nothing new to Alice Pearce, 32, from Hartlepool. While volunteering last June she travelled from University Hospital of North Tees to Hartlepool and back in her own time to collect and drop off a pair of glasses for a patient. Alice said: “I’ve been volunteering for just under a year now and I have loved every second of it.
“I’m overjoyed to say I have now gained full time employment within the NHS as a Team Support Worker. I applied for this job because I know how hard the nurses work and how little time they have to do the much needed tasks.
“I’m very proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to make a difference to so many people in so many ways.”
Essential
Volunteers are an essential part of daily operations of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, providing patient care, driving services, visitor welcomes and much more. Our Trust is always looking for more volunteers.