Transforming NHS Volunteering in Scotland: Towards a Sustainable Step Change

63-year-old Fleming McNiven from Broxburn spent 40 years sitting behind a desk as a chartered accountant before the desire to “give something back” took hold.

“I never really enjoyed my work, but one thing I really did enjoy was the sense of community of being with people in the office. And so, when I retired, I wanted to get out and be with people. Also, I wanted to keep the brain cells going but really, I wanted to give something back.”

So, when the chance to volunteer at St John’s Hospital in Livingston came up during Covid, he threw himself into it. Fleming works Tuesday mornings in the outpatient department for ophthalmology, diabetes, and podiatry and on a Thursday morning at the hospital’s main entrance reception.

“I greet people as they come in, directing them if they're vulnerable or nervous. I think it's really good for them to see a friendly face. And when people are obviously distressed for any reason, we can support them by sympathetically showing them where to go or just talking to them.

“I once took a lady up to the second floor in the hospital in the lift because she couldn’t use the stairs and was too scared to go in the lift on her own, so if I hadn't been there, she would have missed her appointment. I know that's very much appreciated because patients and visitors regularly come back to us to say thank you so much for helping them out.

“I'm only there for a few hours a week, but they really do show appreciation and thank me.”

Volunteering is vital to the NHS, but volunteer numbers halved to 3,000 since the Covid pandemic. To tackle this, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), which is part of NHS Scotland established – and is now delivering - a business transformation programme to reshape Scotland’s NHS volunteering service. With shifting age demographics altering traditional engagement models, this initiative will deliver a modern, scalable, and digitally enabled volunteer service fit for the future.

The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) has collaborated with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to shape and drive the transformation through co-developing a new model of volunteering. This will regenerate the service while broadening the scope of volunteering opportunities. It will also help demonstrate impact and value to individuals, communities and society. The result is a new national NHS Scotland Volunteering Service, underpinned by a market-leading Volunteer Management System (VMS), which will automate and streamline the volunteering processes. The collaboration used design innovation to develop a new business and operating model for volunteering, setting out an efficient, sustainable, national approach to the volunteering lifecycle.

The transformed national service, underpinned by efficiencies enabled by the VMS, aims to double participation to 6,000 volunteers, together contributing over one million hours annually. The project is now entering the delivery stage, with HIS piloting the VMS in one board area in May, before rolling out to two further boards. Expected benefits include volunteer self-service through digital engagement to build capacity in NHS Scotland Volunteering teams and robust data collection and impact measurements to assure continued investment in volunteering.

A crucial goal enabled through the changes is improving inclusivity of roles, expanding engagement across Scotland’s diverse communities to involve a wider range of volunteers.

Fleming believes there are lots of reasons for youngsters in particular to get involved.

“The young people I've been involved with who want to volunteer or who are maybe thinking of a career in the NHS get to see how the hospital works and meet the professionals to ask questions. So, I get to be an example to these young folk and that’s gratifying for me, because I've never really been involved in doing anything like that in my career.

“Also, volunteering looks great on a CV and it's a tremendous experience of interacting with people of all ages and all abilities. Some kids are very nervous when they come in; their parents or a guidance teacher may have told them to do it and they're really not sure why they're there. But when they finish, they are more outgoing and more confident, and quite a few come back to be regular volunteers.”

Government Support

The programme is backed by the Scottish Government as part of its commitment to societal development, civic engagement, and sustainable healthcare. The economic value of NHS Scotland volunteering is projected to exceed £18 million over five years, reinforcing the social and economic importance of volunteering to the people and communities of Scotland.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said, ‘Volunteers have played an important role in the health service for many years and the Scottish Government recognises and appreciates the contribution they make.

“The new Volunteer Management System will help to make the process of recruiting volunteers more efficient and will help us to create volunteering opportunities that are flexible and responsive to the needs of NHS Scotland. I am particularly keen that we make volunteering available to a wider demographic of people, so that more people who would like to volunteer are able to do so.”

“Our programme has the potential to offer more patients and families the chance to be supported by volunteers in a caring and compassionate way. It’s a major shift in volunteering, bringing more diverse opportunities and digital ways of engaging. For example, it could mean a student nurse in Aberdeen could volunteer during term time and then continue to volunteer back home in Glasgow during holidays. That could prove to be a real benefit.” said Dawn Fisher, at Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

Bill Kendall, Lead Consultant at the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, added, “This collaborative project represents a transformational shift in NHS Scotland Volunteering to provide more and higher quality opportunities for people to give their time freely to support others, ‘giving back’ to society and improving their well-being. Working together with NHS HIS, the volunteer management community and Scottish Government, we are transforming the service to a new, more scalable and flexible model, showcasing how business and digital change can deliver meaningful change for patients, volunteers and staff, and for our society.”

As for Fleming, he says volunteering has been one of the most rewarding and eye-opening things he’s ever done.

“I see how busy the staff are at times, and I see the quality of the care and compassion that the nurses and doctor’s show. I'm seeing that human side of the NHS. When I say I'm just a volunteer, they say, ‘No, you really do add value’ and that's appreciated from my perspective. I really, really enjoy every shift.”

The refreshed service and VMS digital toolset are being rolled out during 2025, with all Health Boards fully transitioned by May 2026. To find out more about the NHS Scotland Volunteering Programme: https://www.hisengage.scot/equipping-professionals/volunteering-in-nhs-scotland/

If you are interested in volunteering and giving back to your communities, go to: https://www.volunteer.scot.nhs.uk/