Notes to editors
For further information or to request an interview or case study please contact:
Gemma Umali, Press and Public Affairs Manager at The King’s Fund: 0207 307 2585, g.umali@kingsfund.org.uk (07584 146 035 if calling out of hours)
Mel Garfield at Royal Voluntary Service on 07834 653353 or media@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Beth Vaughan at Helpforce on 07810835625 or bv@helpforce.community
The King’s Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible care is available to all.
Royal Voluntary Service has been supporting the NHS since it was created, offering comfort to patients and helping keep hospitals moving. The charity has 5,000 volunteers providing regular help to patients in hospital today with another 15,000 supporting older people in the community to stay healthy and happy. Volunteers in hospitals perform a variety of roles, all designed to improve patient flow and experience. This includes providing companionship, encouraging older patients to do gentle exercises to aid recovery, offering reassurance and comfort to those waiting in A&E and helping older people to settle back home. In addition, patients, NHS staff and visitors are served healthy food through the charity’s many hospital shops, cafes and trolleys.
Helpforce is at the forefront of a national movement to improve the lives of NHS staff, patients and our communities through the power of volunteering. Backed by leading lights in the world of health care, we’re bringing together innovative thinking and trusted experience to make community-integrated health care the norm across the UK.