Return of the trolleys to the BGH

The service has had a two-year hiatus, due to restrictions in the hospital during the pandemic, but now the welcome rumble of the trolleys will once again be heard in the corridors of the Melrose hospital, but new recruits are a must.

Chris Gray, Royal Voluntary Service head of retail, said: “We are thrilled to see the return of our fantastic Borders General Hospital trolley service. Trolley volunteers find the experience incredibly rewarding. They enjoy being social and active in their local community, meeting new people and being part of a friendly team supporting the NHS.

“By offering essential items to patients, they help make their stay in hospital that bit brighter and bring real joy to the wards, but they also help to ease pressure on hardworking clinical staff.

“Trolley service volunteers also offer a friendly face to patients who, unfortunately, don’t receive any visitors, helping them avoid loneliness and aiding them in their recovery.

“We urgently need more trolley volunteers to step forward and help us to provide this vital service to more patients in Borders, more often.”

The charity’s ambassador, singer Elaine Page OBE, celebrated the trolleys’ return as she put in a shift at another hospital recently.

She said: “Having been behind a hospital trolley myself and seeing how the warm-hearted volunteers can raise patients’ spirits, I can only imagine how much they have been missed on wards over the past two years.

“Now that trolley services are back, I am urging people to see for themselves what a remarkable difference they can make to the wellbeing of someone who’s likely experiencing a difficult time.

"Donating your time to support others is a wonderful thing. You don’t have to have any special skills and you certainly don’t need to sing to patients as I did! Your time and compassion are enough to brighten someone’s day.”

Visit: royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/volunteering/