New research: Volunteering in General Practice

The Kings Fund has launched a new report looking at the different types of volunteering going on in partnership with doctors’ surgeries: Volunteering in General Practice.

The report identifies four approaches to supporting volunteering in general practice: use of volunteers to enable general practice to carry out its activities; organisations using volunteer support that were located within general practice premises; social prescribing; and community-centered general practices.

It includes 10 case studies, which demonstrate that approaches to supporting volunteering in general practice provide an opportunity for practices to engage beyond their traditional boundaries, creating an interface with voluntary and community sector organisations and with the wider community.

The practice examples highlight the importance of partnership work to support and sustain volunteering, the different design and resource considerations in choosing an appropriate approach, the support and management requirements for volunteers and strategic factors that influence success and sustainability.

Read the research at www.kingsfund.org.uk