Volunteers needed to support end of life patients

A charity is looking for volunteers who can support patients during the final days of their lives.

Marie Curie is beginning a companion service at Sunderland Royal Hospital in partnership with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

Those who take part will be asked to spend approximately three hours each week on the wards offering emotional and practical support where needed, or to sit at bedsides when families need a break.

Claudia Hepworth, Volunteer Service Officer at the charity, said: "Our wonderful volunteers can be a reassuring presence to patients by providing conversation or by simply holding their hand."

"Nearing the end of life can be a scary and overwhelming experience, for both the individual and their loved ones."

Often associated with caring for those with advanced cancer, Marie Curie supports anybody with a terminal illness.

Families can ask for a companion to visit a loved one if for any reason they can not be there themselves.

Hepworth said volunteers will be given training to help them deal with different situations and she would like to hear from anyone willing to help people "going through the toughest of times".

Joanne White, from South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, said everyone was "incredibly grateful" to volunteers who bring "comfort and reassurance when it is needed most".

"By working in partnership with Marie Curie, we can help ensure all patients receive compassionate, dignified support at the end of life," she said.

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