Trained volunteers help out in emergency department at Chesterfield Royal

Dozens of specially trained volunteers have been helping in the emergency department at Chesterfield Royal hospital, giving vital support in the fight against Covid-19.
Chesterfield Royal emergency dept staff and St John volunteers.Chesterfield Royal emergency dept staff and St John volunteers.
Chesterfield Royal emergency dept staff and St John volunteers.

The St John’s Ambulance volunteer work at the hospital is part of a raft of support services, amounting to 1,200 hours a day, being provided by the charity to the NHS and communities since the outbreak of the virus.

In April the volunteers, all qualified first aiders, received additional training from St John and the hospital in how to care for patients during the pandemic.

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This enabled them to carry out activities such as taking patient observations and helping them with eating, drinking and hygiene in both the Covid and non-Covid emergency zones of the hospital.

Claire Lambie, head of operations at Chesterfield Royal, said: “This is one of the really positive things to come out of Covid-19.

“It has allowed us to build a new relationship with St John’s Ambulance that we probably hadn’t considered before.

“The team of volunteers have been extremely well received by the emergency department consultants, nurses, patients – everybody they have come into contact with.

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“The training and experience they have with St John means they have the skillset to deal with people and support them when they are feeling vulnerable. They are not here to take on roles that trained staff do, but the skill-base they come with equips them well to support us.

“They are an absolute credit to St John. Anything they are asked to do, they do. They are professional, courteous and really lovely with people.”

Lead volunteer Marc Pauselli, 36, described his experience assisting Chesterfield Royal patients.

He said: “The most rewarding thing about this work is helping people, seeing them walk out of the hospital and also helping the nurses who are absolutely run off their feet.”

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The charity plans to continue this support but is facing serious financial pressures. An emergency fundraising appeal has been launched to raise more than £6 million. For more information, visit www.sja.org.uk/savelives.