Best buddies: Hospital staff pledge spare time to patients
Staff who usually work behind the scenes at Epsom and St Helier hospitals are giving up their spare time to help support patients on the wards, as a number of non-clinical staff have joined a new initiative to become ‘companions’ and ‘mealtime buddies’.
For patients who would like some company or those who need some additional support to eat their meals, the extra volunteers on the ward (who all undergo specialist training from our expert clinical staff) will be on hand to make sure a stay in our hospitals is as positive and as comfortable as it can be.
Chief Nurse Charlotte Hall, said: “Our doctors and nurses are experts in providing high quality, compassionate care and of course, will always make sure patients are well-fed and hydrated. But some of our patients take real comfort in just spending time with people – it sounds very simple, but half an hour of somebody’s time can make all the difference to a patient – and that’s why our new staff volunteers are such welcome additions to our wards.”
Pharmacist Deborah Gouveia (who is currently working on a project to streamline the way the trust prescribes, orders and administers medication) was one of the first mealtime buddies to finish their training with the infection prevention control team, as well as specialists in the speech and language department (who train volunteers to feed patients properly). Speaking during her first shift on the hip fracture unit at St Helier, Deborah said: “I’ve wanted to do some form of volunteer work for a long time, but with a full time job and two young children, spare time is scarce.
“When I heard about the mealtime buddy and companionship initiative I thought it was perfect! Not only can I do it during my own time, but it’s very convenient for me (as it’s at work), and I knew I would get the training and support I would need to do the job well.
“In line with the values of our hospitals, by helping with this initiative I’m not only fulfilling one of my own personal desires to help people, but this can be my way of contributing towards putting our patients first. And, while I know that I won’t be able to help all of the patients on all the wards, I may be able to make a difference, even to that one person.”
The new staff volunteers took to the wards just before National Volunteers’ Week (1 – 7 June) – an annual event that celebrate the contribution made by the millions of volunteers across the UK.
If you would like to volunteer at Epsom or St Helier hospital, there are a number of roles available, including helping people to find their way around our hospitals; running the shops and tea bars; providing refreshment trolleys and newspaper rounds or even broadcasting on hospital radio.
And everyone is welcome to apply! We have almost 500 volunteers, aged from 17 to 94, who between them contribute a staggering 65,000 volunteer hours each year to helping our patients, visitors and people.
For more information, please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator Adam Watkins, either by email at adam.watkins@esth.nhs.uk or by phone on 01372 735 079.
