Concerns about volunteers in healthcare

11 March 2008

THE HAGUE – The demand for volunteer workers in healthcare will increase, but it is doubtful whether enough volunteers can be found. The Social and Cultural Planning Bureau (SCP) writes this in a report on volunteer work outside of institutions, those who help with patient transport and hospice care for instance.

Volunteer work in healthcare is not very popular and more and more potential volunteers already have paid work, the SCP says.

The SCP does not know exactly how large the volunteer sector in healthcare is, but the Zonnebloem volunteer foundation reported making a million visits to 58,000 patients in 2005.