VOLUNTEERS are needed to help improve the meals service at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Voluntary meal time assistants have been working with nurses on Hazel Ward to provide extra help and support for patients at meal times.

Leaders at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust now want to expand the scheme to other wards at Worcestershire Royal and to introduce it to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

The volunteers on Hazel Ward work under nursing supervision and help patients with menu choices and preparing for meal times. They also provide additional support if they need extra help with eating.

The volunteers’ training includes learning about hand hygiene and good infection prevention measures.

They are also taught manual handling procedures to ensure they are seated correctly at a bedside when assisting patients and how to help identify when patients may need to be moved by the nurses so that they are in a better position to eat more comfortably.

Volunteers are also trained in issues about privacy and dignity preservation and good communication with patients.

WRVS and trust volunteer co-ordinator Liz Williams said: “The idea is to create an environment which will make a patient’s stay in hospital as pleasant and comfortable as possible and we hope that we will have many volunteers coming forward to support this important role.”

Age Concern will recruit the volunteers and the trust will train them on wards at the Alexandra Hospital.

The volunteers will also be supported by the Friends of Alexandra Hospital who co-ordinate the volunteer scheme.

Anyone interested in working at Worcestershire Royal Hospital should contact Liz Williams, WRVS volunteer coordinator, on 01905 733159 or e-mail elizabeth.williams@worcsacute.nhs.uk.

To work at the Alexandra Hospital Redditch, contact Becky Howes at Age Concern Redditch & District on 01527 584653 or e-mail becky.howes@ageconcernredditch.org.uk.