TS 12339

TS 12339 is a standard for how voluntary services in hospitals are organised, carried out, and supervised. In the hospital setting, volunteer activities are typically used to support patients and visitors through companion support, guidance, and other supplementary services; this standard defines criteria for managing such services within the institution.

The role of volunteer services inside a hospital

Volunteer services are not a substitute for professional healthcare; they are a supporting organisational layer. From a general technical perspective, this kind of service depends on clearly defined task boundaries, selection and orientation of volunteers, assignment of responsibilities, and monitoring of continuity. In hospitals, a structured framework helps keep volunteer work aligned with institutional order and makes the service more predictable.

The framework covered by the standard

• Criteria for organising volunteer services
• Organisational principles for delivering these services
• Supervision and monitoring of volunteer activities
• Defining task boundaries appropriate to the hospital environment

The reference structure places this document within the broader approach to quality assurance and organisational control in hospitals. For that reason, it serves as a technical reference for institutions that want to define the role of volunteer services in hospital operations and maintain that role in a controlled way.