South gets health shuttle
St John is looking for volunteer drivers to help launch a shuttle service in South Auckland. The organisation’s free service transports people to and from medical appointments, with only one other Auckland service in West Auckalnd.
St John plans to have the South Auckland service operating by the middle of the year, but the timing and catchment area will depend on the volunteers it gets. Northern region community programmes manager Peter Hoskin says there are high numbers of South Aucklanders not attending essential appointments.
‘‘We want to help remove the barriers people face in receiving healthcare, and we know lack of transport is a big reason people miss out on medical appointments,’’ Hoskin says.
Health shuttle team leader Lindsay Roberts manages the West Auckland service and says it’s challenging finding reliable drivers but they all find it a rewarding experience.
Drivers must have a full driver’s licence, a clean police record, and be able to commit to one shift each week or fortnight. Contact St John’s Nissy Concisom on 09 526 0528 or nissy.concisom@stjohn.org.nz for more information.
‘‘We want to help remove the barriers people face in receiving healthcare.’’