14 March 2018
A group of dedicated volunteers are spending time in the community to support people in Coventry and Rugby during the last year, months and days of their lives.
The 10 specially-trained Compassionate Communities volunteers are part of a Coventry-wide scheme run by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT) and Myton Hospice.
The volunteers spend valuable time with people in their own homes, or in a community setting like a care home. These may be individuals without any close relatives or friends, people whose relatives do not live nearby.
The Compassionate Communities volunteers sit with, talk or read to people, and can offer support to their families too. They give support and comfort, listening to them and communicating any worries to care home or hospital staff or relatives. They also support bereaved loved ones after the person has died.
The new Compassionate Communities service builds on a successful scheme that has been running at UHCW for almost two years. At University Hospital in Coventry there is a team of 14 Support for the Dying Companion volunteers are available on wards, and now there are also two volunteers at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby. The 16 volunteers have acted as companions to around 200 hospital patients.
Hospice or hospital staff or community nurses refer individuals who may be suitable for the scheme, and then the volunteers, who are registered with University Hospital’s Voluntary Services team, arrange to visit them.
Simon Betteridge, Lead Chaplain at UHCW NHS Trust, said:
“We’ve had a great response to the service since it started in December 2017, and the team have supported around ten individuals and families.
“Our Compassionate Communities volunteer companions offer vital support to people and their families, whether they are in hospital, in their own homes, or another setting.
“The volunteers also support families, providing periods of respite and reassurance for them knowing that their loved one is not alone.
“We are interested in hearing from other dedicated individuals who are interested in volunteering in the community, or at their local hospital, and have lots of different roles available.”
Debbie Nash, Head of Service for the Specialist Palliative Care Team at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, said:
“I’m really proud to have our team involved in this much needed initiative. We are very privileged to work with patients and their families approaching the end of their lives who may wish to die at home.
Being able to access these volunteers means we can offer much needed additional support particularly for elderly, vulnerable and isolated people who may not have close family or friends nearby. These patients are often the ones most in need of some support both before and after the death of a loved one.”
The next date for informal discussions about volunteering as a Support for the Dying Companion in one of the hospitals in Coventry or Rugby is Thursday 12 April at University Hospital, Coventry.
If you’d like to know more about becoming a Compassionate Communities Volunteer, or volunteering at University Hospital in Coventry, please contact Kristine Davies, Head of Voluntary Services, on 024 7696 5146 or email volunteers@uhcw.nhs.uk.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
If you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, e.g. fever, loss of taste or continuous new cough, please DO NOT attend for a blood test.
Earlier this year, the Government revised the guidance on Shielding for CEV patients. All those who have been identified as CEV have been advised to follow the same guidance as everyone else, whilst potentially thinking about extra precautions you could take to reduce your chance of catching COVID-19.
Taking into account this guidance, and the evidence that most patients have now resumed having their blood tests at their usual preferred location, UHCW will no longer be providing the Shielding phlebotomy service from Monday 13 December 2021. You will need to make arrangements to get your blood tests done, as you did prior to the pandemic at locations across Coventry and Warwickshire at www.uhcw.nhs.uk/bloodtests If your specialist has requested a blood test which is due to be taken prior to Monday 13th December, you can expect it to take place at a ‘Pop-up’ clinic, as before. Any blood tests required after this date will need to be a booked appointment.
You can keep up to date with the latest advice from the Government and from UHCW on the following website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.