April 14, 2014 12.22 pm This story is over 119 months old

St Barnabas volunteers offer renal support at Lincoln hospital

Day therapy: Patients on the Renal Unit at Lincoln County Hospital can now get extra support from St Barnabas volunteers.
L-R: Sam Lewis, Specialist Nurse Practitioner for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice; Lisa Gibson, Volunteer Services Manager for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice and Karen Pammenter, Senior Sister at Lincoln County Hospital Renal Unit. Photo: St Barnabas

Volunteers working for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice will now offer support and assistance to those in the Renal Unit at Lincoln County Hospital.

In the new project, volunteers will offer support such as basic relaxation techniques and therapeutic hand massage.

The project will start in June 2014, using some of the charity’s 1,000 volunteers from across the county.

Sam Lewis, Specialist Nurse Practitioner for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said: “It is often very difficult for patients undergoing regular dialysis treatment to be able to access some of the services we provide in Day Therapy due to their treatment commitments.

“We are hoping that our volunteers may be able to bring a little bit of Day Therapy to those patients and bridge the gap between acute and hospice services.

“We are aiming to improve the wellbeing of the dialysis patients and educate them about the breadth of services available to them at St Barnabas.”

Martin Gerrish, Matron of the Renal Unit at Lincoln County Hospital, added: “Firstly, we would like to thank St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice for their support in this project and we welcome their volunteers into the Renal Unit.

“A dialysis patient will spend four hours with us three times a week and this exciting new project will mean that their time here will be improved. The volunteers will be a welcome distraction whilst providing complementary therapies.”

St Barnabas volunteers work over a range of areas within the charity, including inpatient units, fundraising department and charity shops.

Lisa Gibson, Volunteer Services Manger for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said: “Our day therapy volunteers make a valuable contribution to the care offered to patients.

“We are delighted to be able to offer this new volunteering experience which will enhance the lives of patients attending dialysis.”

Anyone interested in volunteering in this project should contact St Barnabas Hospice volunteer services on 01522 518221 or go to their website for further details.