New Volunteer Role at West Suffolk

See more of the role here:

Usually, if a patient is well enough to go home, their loved ones or family members often collect them. However, sometimes this is not possible, and they may need to find an alternative way home.

The Trust’s voluntary services team, in partnership with Helpforce, has developed a transport companion role, where volunteers support patients in a taxi when they are discharged from hospital, to ensure they have a smooth care experience when leaving and returning home. To begin with, this service will be available for patients discharged from the emergency department and acute medical unit.

Michelle Boor, community volunteers coordinator at WSFT, said: “Developing this role has been a real team effort, from the staff in the early intervention team, to our colleagues in social care and the Red Cross, and even the volunteers themselves.

“This role will support our patients once they’ve left the care of our hospital. It means we can really go that extra mile for patients and show them that we care about them even after they’ve officially been discharged.

“It’s the little things that make a difference – our volunteers can put the heating on and make sure they’ve got some milk in the fridge for a cup of tea. It’s a personal touch to welcome the patient home.”