There are many ways to be an active citizen in the area of health, each involving different levels of skills, commitment and responsibility.

On this page:

The voluntary health sector
The NHS

This section is divided into two main parts:

• The voluntary health sector
  
• The NHS
  
  Each gives a brief introduction to some of the volunteer roles that are available in this area.

  The voluntary health sector

  There are many ways to become involved with the voluntary health sector.
  
  You could get involved with:
  
  

• British Red Cross - you can volunteer in a number of ways with the British Red Cross depending on your interests. They can help you to identify the opportunities that are best for you and will provide training and support.
  
  Alexandra House
  204 Bath Street
  Glasgow
  G2 4HL
  
  tel: 0141 332 9591
  web: www.redcross.org.uk
  
  
• Macmillan Cancer Relief - Macmillan Cancer Relief has about 70,000 volunteers working all over the UK, and offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities.
  
  Osborne House
  1 – 5 Osborne Terrace
  Edinburgh
  EH12 5HG
  
  tel: 0131 346 5346
  email: jsimpson@macmillan.org.uk
  web: www.macmillan.org.uk
  
  
• Buddying for people living with HIV - buddies are trained volunteers who provide social, practical and emotional support to people living with HIV.
  
  Waverley Care Buddy Service
  113 Oxgangs Road North
  Edinburgh
  EH14 1EB
  
  email: buddy@waverleycare.org
  web: www.waverleycare.org/buddy.htm
  
  Grampian Buddy Group
  P O Box 353
  Aberdeen
  AB9 8DD
  
  Or
  
  Department of GU Medicine
  Woolmanhill
  Old Infirmary Building
  Aberdeen
  AB25 1LD
  
  tel: 01224 681 818 ext 55486
  web: www.grampianbuddygroup.org
  
  PHACE Scotland
  49 Bath Street
  Glasgow
  G2 2DL
  
  tel: 0141 332 3838
  web: www.phacescotland.org
  
  
• Volunteering with mental health organisations - many mental health organisations provide excellent opportunities for people who are interested in supporting people with mental health issues.
  
  Mental Health Aberdeen
  Central Office
  8 Alford Place
  Aberdeen
  AB10 1YB
  
  tel: 01224 590510
  email: centraloffice@mhaberdeen.org
  web: www.mhaberdeen.org
  
  Perth Association for Mental Health
  Caladh Centre
  6 Milne Street
  Perth
  PH1 5QL
  
  tel: 01738 639657
  web: www.pamh.ndirect.co.uk
  
  Penumbra
  Norton Park
  57 Albion Road
  Edinburgh
  EH7 5QY
  
  tel: 0131 475 2380
  web: www.penumbra.org.uk
  
  Alzheimer Scotland
  22 Drumsheugh Gardens
  Edinburgh
  EH3 7RN
  
  tel: 0131 243 1453
  email: alzheimer@alzscot.org
  web: www.alzscot.org.uk
  
  Glasgow Association for Mental Health
  St Andrew’s by the Green
  33 Turnbull Street
  Glasgow
  G1 5PR
  
  tel: 0141 552 5592
  email: info@gamh.org.uk
  
  Health in Mind
  40 Shandwick Place
  Edinburgh
  EH2 4RT
  
  tel: 0131 225 8508
  email: info@health-in-mind.org.uk
  web: www.health-in-mind.co.uk
  
  
• Volunteering with LGBT-specific (or LGBT-related) health projects - there are several organisations that provide health related services to LGBT people, and the majority of them rely on volunteers to fulfil aspects of their services.
  
  Click on the links below for contact details.
  
  Gay Men's Health
  Tayside Gay Men's Health
  Phace Scotland
  LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing
  
  
• Community Health Projects - there are hundreds of community health projects across Scotland, focussing on a diverse range of issues from alcohol, cancer and social exclusion. Many of these projects offer excellent opportunities to volunteers.
  
  For information about community health projects in your area, visit the HEBS website and search their database of organisations.
  
  web: www.hebs.scot.nhs.uk
   

  The NHS

  The National Health Service has a long history of volunteering. The breadth of volunteer opportunities within the NHS is diverse, although the majority of opportunities are in hospitals, hospices and day-care centres.
  
  

• Hospices, hospitals and day centres rely on volunteers and offer a wide range of opportunities.
  
  Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS
  18 Hanover Street
  Edinburgh
  EH2 2EN
  
  tel: 0131 226 4933
  web: www.chas.org.uk
  
  Scottish Association of Leagues of Hospital Friends
  37 Merchant Street
  Peterhead
  Aberdeenshire
  AB42 1DU
  
  tel: 01779 474424
  
  Playwell Project
  YWCA Scottish National Council HQ
  7B Randolph Crescent
  Edinburgh
  EH3 7TH
  
  tel: 0131 225 7592
  
  
• Having your say and improving the NHS
  
  NHS Boards
  There are 15 NHS Boards in Scotland, each responsible for strategic planning and performance management of their region.
  
  NHS Boards, or Health Boards as they are also known, have both Executive and non-Executive members. Non-Executive members are “lay people”, or members of the public, who are invited to sit on the Board by the Scottish Executive. Executive members are all senior managers within the NHS.
  
  Vacancies are widely advertised.
  
  Health Councils
  Every Health Board area in Scotland has a Health Council. Health Councils are volunteer led organisations whose aim is to promote public consultation and participation in health related matters and represent patient/public interest within the NHS. Members of the Health Council must live or work in the area.
  
  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland was set up in January 2003. Their aim is to improve the quality of healthcare in Scotland. Part of their work involves setting standards and quality indicators for health services and visiting Trusts throughout NHS Scotland to measure their performance against these standards.
  
  Visits to Trusts are carried out by health care professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists etc) and members of the public working together in review teams. Two members of every review team are “lay reviewers”, i.e. members of the public who are not healthcare professionals. These lay reviewers play a vital role on review teams, bringing with them new insights and helping the team to look at how things are done from a lay persons point of view.
  
  Almost anyone can become a lay reviewer, however, they cannot accept applications from people who have worked for the NHS in the last 5 years.
  
  Public Involvement Team
  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
  Elliot House
  8 – 10 Hillside Crescent
  Edinburgh
  EH7 5EA
  
  tel: 0131 623 4291
  web: www.nhshealthquality.org
  
  
• Other ways to get involved
  
  Hospital Radio - there are approximately 11,000 volunteers across the UK working on hospital radio entertaining patients. The majority of volunteers are organised by the Hospital Broadcasting Association.
  
  tel: 0870 765 9608
  email: scotland@hbauk.com
  web: www.hbauk.com
  
  Therapet Scheme - the Therapet Scheme recruits volunteers to go with their dogs to provide comfort and cheer to older people, children and people experiencing ill-health in homes, hospitals and hospices.
  
  Canine Concern Scotland Trust
  Minard House
  Machrihanish,
  By Campbeltown
  Argyll and Bute
  PA28 6PZ
  
  tel: 01586 810 123
  email: admin@ccst.freeserve.co.uk
  web: www.ccst.freeserve.co.uk
   

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