Health Update Template

Please follow these templates for updating your Project Coordinators on volunteer health updates to ensure the quality and consistency of information going to our management team. This information may be used to inform their families about the volunteers health so we want it to be high quality and consistent for these key communications. Please do not send incomplete messages without the details listed below. 

Tip – Have a draft with these headings saved in your phone. 


New Health Update – Info Needed 

  • Project, Full Name, University 
  • Illness/Injury/Diagnosis 
  • Date symptoms started
  • Signs & Symptoms
  • Treatment Provided 
  • Agreed Outcomes/Action Points
  • Update By (Leader Name)
  • Supporting medical documents  (if doctor visit happened) – e.g. medical certificate, prescription sheet, hospital treatment,  medical results, receipts
    • Include the name of the medical facility visited. 

New Health Update – Example 

Project, Name, University

23rd June Youth – Katie Blackford, University of Liverpool 

Injury/Illness

Katie has been feeling unwell with sickness and diarrhoea for 24 hours, and has been unable to attend the project. 

Date Symptoms Started

Around midday on the 22nd July.

Signs & Symptoms

In the last 24 hours she has had diarrhoea 5 times, she has been sick twice, she has a slight fever and is generally weak/tired. 

Treatment Provided

This morning she feels a bit better than yesterday so she will continue to rest, eat plain foods (e.g. plain rice/boiled cassava), ensure she is drinking boiled & purified water, plus ensure she tries to have 5x rehydration sachets a day. 

Agreed Outcomes/Action Points

Leaders will keep a close eye on her, checking in on her 3 times a day at home and if symptoms don’t improve or worsen in the next 24 hours we will visit a health centre for medical review/further treatment.

Update By

Liam Wench (leader)


Follow Up Updates – Info Needed

  • Project, Full Name
  • Signs & Symptoms (ask about symptoms, any changes in health – new symptoms, improvements, deteriorations) 
  • Treatment Provided
  • Agreed Outcomes/Action Points (medical or from leaders)
  • Supporting Medical documents (if doctor visit happened) 

Follow Up – Example

Project & Name 

23rd June Youth – Katie Blackford 

Signs & Symptoms

Katie hasn’t seen much improvement over the last 24 hours, she has had diarrhoea a further 8 times and has been sick 4 times, she is struggling to hold down liquids and therefore hasn’t been able to rehydrate with ORS. She is still feverish and now quite dehydrated. 

Treatment Provided

We are going to visit the local health clinic at Korolevu at 11am to see a doctor to seek further advice. 

Agreed Outcomes/Action Points

We will update with the diagnosis and recommended treatment, with supporting medical notes and prescriptions once we have been seen.

Medical Documents

Will follow up with these. 

Update By

Liam Wench (leader)