VOLUNTEER 4×4 drivers are needed to support NHS services.
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT), which provide healthcare services across the whole of the county, has formed a partnership with the Warwickshire 4×4 Volunteers Club.
The club offered crucial support to the trust during last winter by helping healthcare staff get to hospitals and clinics through heavy snow.
The community-spirited drivers also navigated SWFT’s nurses to patient’s homes to ensure residents received the treatment they needed.
With the trust working to prepare for another testing winter, the arrangement has been formalised so plans can be put in place in order to provide an effective service whatever the weather. Part of the approach is taking on more volunteers to help out if the need arises.
Drivers need to have their own 4×4 vehicles with valid insurance and be willing to join a WhatsApp group the lead volunteer coordinator will use to support the response during times of extreme weather conditions.
SWFT director of operations Helen Lancaster said: “Last year was a particularly bad winter in terms of the severe weather we had. This can pose a real problem for healthcare providers because even though we have lots of dedicated staff who do their best to do their jobs, sometimes the only way to get around is with a 4×4 vehicle.
“This is where the drivers club offers an important lifeline, their help means we can continue providing care to people who rely on it.”
Email lead volunteer coordinator Graeme Wright at [email protected] for further details.
