A PATIENT support hub at a Southampton hospital has helped those feeling isolated or vulnerable during the pandemic.

The volunteer service, based at University Hospital Southampton offers support to any registered patient with additional needs and their families.

Set up last year, when some vulnerable groups were first asked to start shielding due to the pandemic, the objective of the hub is to offer holistic care to patients whilst in the hospitals care and after.

Starting off with only one volunteer, the hospital is now working with 58 volunteers and currently recruiting more as a result of its growth and success.

A hospital spokesperson said: "We are very proud that our initiative in Southampton is the first of its kind in our country and are continuing to grow each day with more people learning of the help we can offer to them and their loved ones.

"The growth of the Patient Support Hub has meant that we have been able to discover new ways that we can offer support to our local community to help them get back to normal life post-discharge; to live independently and regain confidence with living their life again."

The support the hub offers includes support with appointments, regular wellbeing telephone calls, food shopping and delivery, collecting and delivering prescriptions, transport, Sunflower lanyards, providing reading books and electronic equipment, food parcels, Carer support networks, disability support, veteran support, interpreting services, end of life support and property swapping.

Funded until this point by the in-house Southampton Hospitals Charity, the hub as several volunteers going the extra mile including former Saints striker James Beattie who made an appearance on BBC South Today earlier this year to express the gratitude he feels for our city when volunteering.

The initiative also caught the attention of HRH Duke of Cambridge, Prince William earlier this year who directly requested a phone call with the Project Lead about the work the hub has done for our community.

The hospital spokesperson added: "We have had patients refer to our work as being a ‘lifeline to the outside world’, with many acknowledging they did not know how they would’ve coped in lockdown – and that’s where we have been able to step in and take the pressure off."