Patient Voice Volunteer

Time commitment: Flexible depending on the availability and opportunities you choose to get involved with. The average Patient Voice session (in an education context) will last 45mins - 1hour, and at most will be on a weekly basis. There may be repeat asks with the same partner but different groups of participants during a term. The average ask (in a Public Patient Involvement/Quality Improvement context) varies according to need, for example, you may be asked to provide commentary on communications to patients, or share your experience of a VA service or an information session, to patients on a waiting list.
Travel: The role is currently mainly delivered via online platforms e.g., Zoom, Teams, however, face-to-face opportunities will be available.

Are you looking for an opportunity to use your creativity, energy and excellent (communication or leadership) skills to really make an impact? Would you like to find a rewarding and fulfilling way for others to benefit from your knowledge and experience?

Although we are not currently recruiting for this role, please keep checking this page as we regular update our volunteer opportunities.

About the role

At Versus Arthritis, we envisage a future free from Arthritis. We won’t rest until everyone with arthritis has access to the treatments and support, they need to live the life they choose.

Patient Voice Volunteers contribute to the quality of musculoskeletal (MSK) and chronic pain care delivered by the current and next generations of healthcare professionals. You will support healthcare professionals (in training and in practice) to understand and empathise with what is to have and live with a musculoskeletal (MSK) condition and/or chronic pain, and ultimately improve the service they provide to patients in GP practice.

You are asked to represent yourself as an expert in the impact of your own condition and your resulting experiences. Where applicable you are also asked to provide your experience of Versus Arthritis services (e.g. self-management training courses) and the benefits in participating.

You will be communicating your experience of living with your condition(s) with the following audiences:

University students from a range of year groups and disciplines (e.g. Medicine, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy).
Newly qualified and experienced healthcare professionals e.g. GP's in last year of specialism (‘ST3s’).
Patients attending Health and Social Care Trust co-hosted waiting list information Events (where you have experience of and can highlight the benefits of participating in Versus Arthritis services).
Health and Social Care Trust, and Regional Quality Improvement groups requiring patient input about service improvement.

Examples of discussion areas/lived experience that can inform all elements of the role:

Discussing your arthritis/musculoskeletal (MSK) condition(s).
When it started and your history with the condition.
How it affects your life - pain, mobility, daily functions.
Any help you may need.
Treatments.
Psychological impacts.
How it affects family and relationships.

As a volunteer you will also:

Act where necessary to ensure a safe and inclusive environment.
Receive reimbursement for reasonable out of pocket expenses.

Download the role profile for a Patient Voice Volunteer (Word 95KB).

The Application Process

You can find out more about our volunteer recruitment process for this role below.

You will need to fully complete and submit an online volunteering application form.
We will ask you to provide the names of two people, one of which must have known you for at least two years, who can offer a reference for you; this could be a colleague or a friend but not a family member.

About us

We have made a commitment in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to increase the diversity of our charity and we welcome candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.  We want our employees, volunteers and trustees to represent the broad diversity of the communities of which we are a part.   

There are over 10 million people living with arthritis. That’s one in six, with over half of those living in pain every single day. The impact is huge as the condition slowly intrudes on everyday life – affecting the ability to work, care for a family, to move free from pain and to live independently. Yet arthritis is often dismissed as an inevitable part of ageing or shrugged off as ‘just a bit of arthritis’. We don’t think that this is okay. Versus Arthritis is here to change that.  

Versus Arthritis is committed to keeping children, young people and vulnerable adults safe from harm. During the recruitment process we will undertake safer recruitment practices and relevant checks to ensure applicants are suitable to work with children, young people and vulnerable adults. 