Volunteers help make hospital a happier place

The volunteers are on hand during the breakfast, lunch and dinner service, offering practical help to make sure people are able to eat

Once a week Eileen Engleman can be found serving hot meals, chatting and playing bingo with patients at Newton Abbot Community Hospital.

Eileen is one of 12 mealtime companions working across Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, providing extra assistance to people being cared for in hospital.

The trust has urged more people to volunteer for the service, offering much-needed practical help at meal times but also helping make hospital a happier place.

Ms Engleman, a former nurse, said the work "means the world" to her and she always ended her shift with "a huge sense of satisfaction."

The trust has urged more people to get involved with the voluntary programme

She said: "I love meeting new people and knowing I'm playing a part in someone's care and recovery."

The trust said mealtime companions provided social support to help patients' mental health and wellbeing, which "plays a huge benefit in their recovery".

Volunteer Isabel added: "That might involve cutting their food, making sure everything is comfortable for them that they can either feed themselves, or sometimes if they do need some help, giving them a bit of assistance with that."

Mealtime enhancement lead Irene McClelland said: "Our mealtime companions are our unsung heroes, and by spending time with our patients give our nurses and healthcare assistants time to provide other care to people who need it.

"Our volunteers play a major part in helping to make our hospitals a more friendly and comfortable environment, but we do need more mealtime companions to help us to support our patients at breakfast, lunch and dinner time."