Saturday, October 5, 2024

Support your shuttle

BY GAYLE CHAMBERS - Marlborough President Grey Power NZ Federation

In April, I found myself in a situation of having no way to get to Wairau hospital and back from an eye injection appointment. My husband was in Nelson and I did not like to rely on friends.

What to do? I then remembered the St John Health Shuttle, left a phone message – you have to give them 24 hours’ notice – of when I needed to be at the appointment, and when I would be returning home.

I got a message soon after to say that I was all booked in. That night I also got a phone call to tell me exactly what time I would be collected.

Two shuttle volunteers came to pick me up. One was the driver and the other to assist me if I needed help in and out of the vehicle. They were both so welcoming.

They dropped me off to my appointment in plenty of time and I gave them an approximate time of when I would be finished.

Appointment concluded, I met the team outside the front entrance of the hospital and they took me home. They advised that sometimes there is a bit of a wait if someone else is due around the same time to take home.

Being a volunteer service with payment by donation, I gave $20 as I thought a taxi would have been over double that price.

I will use this service again if I have a need; it was door to door with very empathetic volunteers that made me feel safe.

Related: Transport issues

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