Friends of patients at Whangārei Hospital begin work to provide care

St John Friends of the Emergency Department volunteers with Whangārei Hospital staff ready to comfort patients. Photo / Supplied

Patients waiting to be seen at Whangārei Hospital's emergency department can now turn to St John volunteers for comfort and support in the form of a cuppa or a warm blanket.

The St John Friends of the Emergency Department service (FEDs) rolled out for the first time in Whangārei Hospital from Monday following similar initiatives introduced at the Dargaville and Bay of Islands hospitals in 2010.

"The role varies from keeping company of a patient waiting to see a nurse, fetching a warm blanket and helping out with the delivery of meals and cups of tea, to sitting and listening, or reading to a patient," St John's Northern Region Community Care Manager Nissy Concisom said.

"We know that emergency departments can get very busy and patients are sometimes in distress or feeling lonely if they don't have loved ones living nearby, so having a FED there to support and reassure them can make a real difference."

In a way, she said the FEDs serve as a liaison between a patient and the nurses and doctors.

The free service was launched at Auckland Hospital in May 2002, following a successful pilot in November 2001. St John now has more than 840 FEDs and volunteers in smaller hospitals with no ED in 27 hospitals across New Zealand.

Retired couple Richard and Eileen Thesiger were volunteers at the St John store in Huntly for four-and-a-half years and are now volunteering as FEDs in Whangarei.

"We didn't know anybody in Whangārei and how do you make friends? You get involved in your community. We just walked into the St John station and asked if they needed help
with anything and were told this service was launching," Eileen Thesiger said.

Whangārei Hospital Emergency Department clinical nurse manager Kathryn Erai said her staff felt privileged to finally have FEDs coming to work alongside them in the department.

"We really appreciate them giving up their own time to offer comfort cares like a cup of tea, blanket or a sandwich to patients and families in need who are often here on their own."

FED volunteers generally work a four-hour shift once a week or fortnightly. Individuals wanting to volunteer for St John can contact Stephen.robinson@stjohn.org.nz or phone 0800 ST JOHN ext 8930.