The Feds are moving into Tauranga Hospital - and they mean business.
A squad of at least 60 uniformed personnel are being specially trained for an emergency mission - to ease the personal trauma of people attending the hospital's emergency department.
The band of volunteers are Friends of the Emergency Department, trained by St John, and they will take up their posts on August 8 after battling their way through a heavily oversubscribed selection process.
"It's been an overwhelming response," said Donna Smallbone, St John regional manager Caring Callers and FED trainer, as she scurried about inside St John HQ in 17th Ave trying to find extra seating for the first induction session recently.
"Isn't it fabulous that there are people around who are prepared to give four hours a week to help others.
"Some have worked in hospitals in the past, or experienced the ED difficulties first hand, or simply want to give something back to the community."
She said there were far too many volunteers for the work available, mirroring the situation in Hamilton where about 20 people were still on the waiting list.
Tauranga Hospital's ED nurses are keen for the Feds to start work, having seen the impact they have had at other hospitals.
Sherida Couldwell, the hospital's customer service manager, said the volunteers could help with elderly patients who might be on their own, and in the waiting area talking and engaging with people and helping with form filling.
"It's a way for the hospital to engage with the community and clearly there is a need for the service, judging by the community response already."
The St John FED service, set up in 2001 in Auckland, is starting operations in Tauranga after spreading into Waikato, North Shore, Thames, Waitakere and Christchurch hospitals.
The specially trained volunteers will help families and medical staff by taking care of the peripheral needs of patients.
"The volunteers know that patients waiting in a hospital emergency department need information and support as well as treatment, and with hospital emergency departments being so busy, there is often very little time for staff to give people anything more than clinical treatment," she said.
A further open induction session is being held at Hathor House at the hospital from 9am to 3.30pm today.
The scheme is also being introduced to Timaru and Dunedin Hospitals later this year.
Emergency departments report that patient complaints have dropped since the introduction of St John FED, that the presence and attendance to patient and family demands reduces stress levels and that the programme has become an integral part of hospital emergency departments.
About 60 volunteers are required to work at least one four-hour shift a week for St John FED, a relatively new area for St John.
Volunteers flock to hospital
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