June Bedding is a volunteer with
the
community first responder scheme in Havering.
Why did you want to be a volunteer?
Over 40 years ago my father died in front of
me and I could not do anything to help him. I wanted to prevent
other people going through the same thing with a loved one so I
decided to become a community responder.
What do you do for a
living?
I am retired so I have plenty of time to
volunteer. I used to be an auxiliary district nurse, which meant I
went out and supported the work of local nurses, changes people’s
wound dressings and so on. I wanted to continue working in my
community and caring for other people.
What hours are you on
duty?
I normally work a four hour shift but
sometimes a call out takes me over my finish time. We work Monday
to Friday either the day shift, 10am to 2pm, or the evening shift,
7pm to 11pm. We’ve also just started covering Saturday nights
too.
How often are you called each
shift?
The amount of calls I receive each shift
varies. One shift I may have none, then again I could be kept busy
all evening with three or four call outs.
What sort of medical emergencies have
you attended?
I have attended everything from diabetic
episodes, chest pains, panic attacks and strokes. I remember once
helping paramedics resuscitate a man who had collapsed and stopped
breathing in the street. I stayed with the patient until he was
booked in at hospital - it was only then that I felt my care had
been completed.