Northamptonshire Health Charity
We need your help to fundraise for a NEW buggy for patient & visitor transport Our NGH volunteers offer a buggy service to patients and visitors. As the hospital site is spread across 40.20 acres and the walk from the Billing Road entrance along the main hospital street to Collingtree ward at the far end is more than 800m long, the buggy service is one that is really appreciated. The buggy makes an average of 260 journeys each week to transport patients and visitors around the site, Monday-Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm. As well as helping our less able patients and visitors get to their appointment or be with loved ones, the buggy also helps people feel less anxious about attending hospital. Our volunteer drivers help Volunteers at Peterborough Hospital on replica buggy, although ours will be white
passengers feel at ease and take them
Emma Wimpress, straight to where they need to be. Head of Patient This helps our patients get to their appointments on time. Experience, Engagement The buggy is also part of our and Volunteer Services ‘meet and greet’ service, when “Having a buggy service here we arrange for a member of at NGH means we can provide our volunteer team to meet valuable assistance and support to patients with additional needs and accompany them to their our patients and visitors who are appointments. Having reliable less able to walk the distance to buggies in the hospital means appointments or to be with loved they can depend on the buggy ones are assisted, as well they have booked in advance as helping people feel less being in service. The buggies are custom-built to anxious about attending ensure they can be manoeuvred their appointments.”
The wonderful team of volunteers at NGH provide the invaluable buggy service for patients
28 ❘ Insight
easily around the hospital site. Currently we have two buggies which are serviced weekly. A 30% rise in demand over the past year, coupled with the age of the vehicles, means that we are now looking to replace one of the older vehicles so that we don’t have to suspend the service when one breaks down and the other is being serviced. Your donations and fundraising will help us ensure this invaluable service will continue. Could you help us purchase a new buggy? You can donate by contacting the charity team, or why not try some fundraising? Please contact the charity team on 01604 626927, greenheart@nhcf.co.uk, www.nhcfgreenheart.co.uk. Thank you!