Patients are at the heart of what the volunteers do
26th November 2020
Submitted by Lindsay Rutherford-Hoe, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
The Trust introduced the volunteer driver service seven years ago. In its infancy the team had six drivers who initially focused on supporting patients getting to the trust for Outpatients appointments. Since then the team has grown in numbers and extended the support they have given to the Trust and patients.
During the pandemic, the drivers have been flexible to adapt and work differently to ensure that patients are still getting home from hospital and patients who need to attend urgent treatment appointments i.e. chemotherapy, are still able to make their appointment. Our drivers have been instrumental in making sure people receive their medication following their attendance at virtual consultations, reducing the need for them to come into the hospital.
The team has gone through considerable changes and uncertainties like most people however, their team work and commitment to the trust, to ensure patients are at the heart of what they do, is something to be admired and celebrated.
Following ‘lockdown’ a large number of our drivers initially felt that they were unable to support us. Following the relaxation of the ‘lockdown’ the team has now been reintroduced and extended the support they offer. They are now operating Monday to Friday 11-7pm and Saturday 10-1pm to support with the discharge of patient’s returning home from hospital. The team have adapted to support this new way of working based on data offered by the Trust indicating that there can often be late discharges after 6pm. As the Trusts’ outpatient’s appointments begin to increase, the drivers have also reintroduced the support for those services, whilst continuing to support ‘virtual’ provision.
Throughout the pandemic, the drivers supported the trust to deliver medication to patients in the community. This has complimented the outpatient appointment process, as most appointments have been completed over the telephone or virtually, the drivers have then collected prescribed medication and delivered it to the patient. The drivers have also supported the endoscopy department by delivering essential medication to patients which has been required prior to procedures, this was particularly helpful during the early stages of the pandemic when post was unreliable. The drivers made sure the patient received the required medication on time to ensure planned procedures could continue and appointments were not missed. This has been a multi-agency approach and the drivers have played an integral part of a wider team.
To reduce the unnecessary trips to the Trust’s orthotic department, the drivers have been delivering equipment twice a week to patients in the community. The team has also collected unwanted equipment that is no longer required and returned to the orthotic team for re-use.
The team has continued to support and bring patients into hospital for urgent treatment appointments to the chemotherapy, haematology and the cardiology unit. During a time of reduced capacity within the team and with the uncertainties of the pandemic, the volunteers have ensured that patients who would struggle to get into the hospital to receive vital treatment, have still been able to do so.
As a thank you from the Trust for all the support staff were invited to donate foodstuffs to the local food banks. Our drivers again rose to the challenge and supported this activity by regularly delivering to the food banks.
For the period 2019-2020 the team have undertaken almost 3000 journeys and received over £3,000 in donations to the trust’s charitable fund. These are just two indicators of the fantastic service that the drivers offer to our patients.
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