Friends of the Emergency Department
Friends of the Emergency Department (FEDs) is a volunteer programme that provides non-clinical support to patients and whānau in Palmerston North Hospital's Emergency Department, and Horowhenua's STAR ward. Volunteers listen, share information, and help however they can so that nursing and medical staff can stay focused on critical care.
An emergency department can be a frightening, disorienting place. Whānau are often scared, tired and unsure what's happening or what happens next. FED volunteers are there to sit with them, bring hot drinks, answer questions where they can, and make beds so patients can be settled faster. Their friendly support is the kind of care that makes a hard day a bit easier to get through.
Palmerston North Hospital Foundation has pledged $75,000 in funding to keep Friends of the Emergency Department running for the next three years. This funding will help maintain volunteer coordination and support, so patients and whānau can keep counting on a friendly face when they need it most.
What FED volunteers do
FED volunteers cover shifts seven days a week, from 10am to 10pm, offering support throughout some of the busiest hours in the department. The programme relies on around 20 volunteers in Palmerston North, alongside half a dozen more supporting Horowhenua's STAR ward. Their work includes:
Listening to patients and whānau, and being present with them while they wait.
Sharing information and helping people understand what's happening around them.
Making beds and tidying spaces to help patients feel more comfortable.
Providing cups of tea and small comforts during long waits.
Freeing up nursing and medical staff to focus on clinical care.
ED doctors are clear about the difference FED volunteers make at the hospital. As one puts it, "We would be lost without them, everything they do makes a patient's experience with us less stressful."
Many of the volunteers say that’s exactly why they got involved — because someone cared for them. Volunteer Lola Sharpe says she remembers sitting late at night with her mother, who had just had a stroke. “It was 9.30pm, and a woman in a white shirt popped her head round the door to ask if I’d like a cup of tea. I went ‘What, me?’ I thought she was asking for mum.
“But this lady came and chatted with me, and it was exactly what I needed. I asked her later on about why she was at the hospital and she explained about the Friends programme. I thought immediately, ‘That’s what I’m going to do.’
More volunteers urgently needed
Lola says that people don’t realise how easy it is to fit in with regular life. “It’s only one four hour shift a week, and you can do it outside a normal nine-to-five job, which isn’t common for many volunteering roles. We’d love more people for the after work or weekend shifts.”
Judy Seccombe says it’s a privilege to be involved. “We offer care on people’s hardest days and help break up the wait in the ED. We don’t have to do any dirty jobs! It’s wonderful to feel you’ve made a difference, just by popping in and out of people’s lives.
“Right now, we’re a few people short for our buddy system of two people on each shift - so we really need more volunteers! It’s brilliant for retired nurses and those who’ve worked in health, but you don’t need any clinical experience. We want people of all ages, from all walks of life!”
Anyone interested in joining the Friends of the Emergency Department can find out more by emailing volunteer@midcentraldhb.govt.nz
Learn more about the Foundation.
We have a mission to improve healthcare outcomes in our communities. When you support us, you’re helping to fund important projects like this, now and into the future. Learn about the many ways you can support our work here.