ED has a new group of Friends

For volunteer Jan Drumm, working with charity St John runs in the family.

On Monday she started at the emergency department as one of Hutt Hospital’s first Friends of the Emergency Department (FED).

The long-running programme was launched at an afternoon tea on May 19.

Drumm’s father has a medical background and was involved with St John for about 25 years. Her children also took up the mantle.

‘‘My daughter’s very involved, so I’ve been helping,’’ Drumm said.

‘‘When I heard about this, it was more the fact that you’re helping the Hutt Hospital which is in desperate need of the help.’’

She remembered coming to the hospital with her daughter-in-law and grandchildren and realising how helpful it would be to have someone there to lean on.

Drumm was at the official launch of the FED programme at Hutt Hospital. It’s been a year in the making, getting FEDs up and running in Lower Hutt and co-ordinated efforts from hospital staff and volunteers have brought the service to the hospital’s halls.

Director of community health services for St John Sarah Manley said she was excited to be at Hutt Hospital, helping with the launch.

‘‘[FEDs] has been running throughout New Zealand for over 15 years. It might even be closer to 20.’’

The programme is run in major hospital emergency departments around the country and has more than 800 volunteers.

The role varied depending on what was needed most. They could offer a shoulder to cry on, make a cup of tea or assist with children of families in ED. The service is reaching outside emergency departments. Volunteers had signed up at rural hospitals and groups had been visiting rest homes.