Kidderminster hospital volunteers help prevent last-minute surgery cancellations

Volunteers at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre are helping patients avoid delays to planned operations by identifying potential problems before the day of surgery.

The Cancellation Prevention Project was launched in August 2026 by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in partnership with healthcare volunteering charity Helpforce.

Six volunteers are part of a dedicated telephone team which contacts patients seven days before their scheduled surgery to check whether anything has changed that could affect their operation.

This includes changes to their health or medication, as well as other circumstances that might prevent them from attending or mean their surgery needs to be postponed.

Any concerns, such as a new illness, injury or medication, are passed to the relevant clinical teams so they can take action before the day of the operation.

Where necessary, alternative arrangements can be made, including offering the appointment to another patient on the waiting list.

The project is initially being piloted in the trust's urology department and other surgical specialities, with plans to expand it across the organisation.

Tom Potts, the trust's operational lead for the project, said avoidable cancellations put additional pressure on NHS services, waste clinical time and resources, and could mean other patients miss out on receiving treatment sooner.

He said: "We are delighted to be working with Helpforce on this proactive approach to supporting patients before their appointments.

"Sometimes relatively simple practical challenges can make it difficult for people to attend, and by offering support earlier we hope to remove those barriers, improve patients' experience and help ensure NHS capacity is used effectively."

Amerjit Chohan, chief executive of Helpforce, said volunteers could play a valuable role in identifying and addressing barriers to attending appointments.

He said: "By helping patients feel prepared and supported, volunteers can improve access to the care people need while making more effective use of valuable NHS resources, including clinical staff time."

Helpforce has helped design and introduce the project and will evaluate its impact, with the number of volunteers expected to grow as the service expands.

Aneri Khara, a telephone contact volunteer with the trust, said the role had highlighted the importance of clear and compassionate communication.

She said: "Speaking with patients helped me understand how even a brief conversation can provide reassurance and ensure people have the information they need about their care.

"Working alongside an extremely friendly and welcoming team, I feel that I'm able to make a meaningful contribution to patient care."