A NEW volunteer scheme has been introduced at Bradford Royal Infirmary to bring compassion to dying patients.

Nine trained volunteers have already been signed by the Bradford Teaching Hospitals run scheme to give care to patients in their final days and hours.

The End of Life Companions scheme is a collaboration between the hospital’s palliative care team, chaplaincy team and dedicated chaplaincy volunteers.

Assistant Chief Nurse, Shelley Bailey, who manages the Trust’s volunteers and Chaplaincy Service hopes the scheme will soon be recruiting more people to deliver its much-needed work and sit with patients who are at the end of their life.

Assistant chief nurse Bailey said the scheme had started out as a pilot project but was such a success it had now been fully rolled out and was already making a difference to patients and their families in their time of need.

She said: “The scheme identifies and highlights existing volunteers who we think would be suitable to become an End of Life Companion. These volunteers then receive the training and support they need from both palliative care staff and our chaplaincy teams so that they in turn can offer support, companionship and comfort to those in their final days and hours.

“They also need to be sensitive to what may be going on them in a busy ward while sitting with the dying patient.”

She added the scheme was particularly appreciated by patients’ families when they are not able to get to hospital.

“For families, knowing that someone can spend a few hours sitting with their loved one at times when perhaps they are unable to be at the hospital themselves, can provide great comfort. We also have patients who do not have close family nearby and this is where the scheme is so vital,” she said.

The Trust’s Last Days of Life Educator, Paul Fernandez added: “We have nine excellent, trained volunteers to date and aim to recruit more soon. Their role in spending time with dying patients has, so far, been invaluable to families and really helpful to nursing staff on the wards. This new scheme encompasses the Trust’s values of compassion and dignity. We are always looking for new ways to improve care for dying patients and for their families.” Across the Trust’s hospitals there are more than 500 volunteers who give time generously and tirelessly to make a big difference to patients. To find out more about volunteering at Bradford Teaching Hospitals call 01274 364309 or e-mail volunteer.information@bthft.nhs.uk