Renal dialysis volunteers at Epworth Eastern, Box Hill

Volunteers at Box Hill’s Epworth Eastern spend their time trying to make renal dialysis treatment easier and more comfortable for patients.

Epworth Eastern's group manager volunteer program Tara Cantwell and Nurse Unit manager Millie Flowers celebrate with a team of hospital volunteers.

Renal dialysis patients typically have to undergo four to five hour-long treatment sessions in hospital three times a week.

The treatment leaves the patients feeling tired, while the process requires them to travel back and forth between home and the hospital.

A charming group of volunteers at Box Hill’s Epworth Eastern work to make the process easier and more comfortable for patients.

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As part of the hospital’s renal dialysis patient transport volunteer program, the 11 men and women pick up the patients from their homes and take them to their appointments.

They return at the end of a treatment session to give the patients a lift home to suburbs such as Templestowe, Donvale and Wantirna South.

Epworth Eastern's group manager volunteer program Tara Cantwell and Nurse Unit manager Millie Flowers celebrate with a team of hospital volunteers.

Epworth’s volunteer program group manager Tara Cantwell said the program made a real difference to the experience of receiving treatment.

“Rather than a taxi which might mean a new driver every single time … they can feel safe and trusted and comfortable in an environment that they know and are familiar with,” she said.

The volunteers have been trained and checked out by Epworth.

A boarder security clearance and driving test was included in the process.

Ms Cantwell said the volunteers worked to a roster, and sometimes drove the same patient around twice weekly.

Epworth Eastern volunteer driver Heather Hutton shares a moment with Donvale client Rob Brodie. Heather volunteers to transport Rob and others to and from the renal dialysis unit of the hospital.

“(The volunteers) can really get to know (the patients) and develop a relationship and sense of trust,” she said.

“The volunteers know who’s getting married and which grandchildren are celebrating things at school.”

Park Orchard’s Sharyn Cockram, who does two days a week, said she had got to know not just the patients but their wives, husbands and children as well.

“I’ve got one patient whose son had come over from Geneva and I had to wait five minutes before I could leave to meet him,” she said.

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The volunteers gathered at Epworth earlier this month to celebrate the program’s one year anniversary.

It began last year when the volunteers responded to a callout in Whitehorse Leader.