About us

Charlotte has been working with Wellington Free for four years and feels incredibly proud to help her community when they need her most.

“Every day is so different – I could be taking a patient to a medical appointment, bringing a patient home from hospital following treatment or transferring to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit following an aeroplane transfer from a different part of the country” she says.

Whilst no two days are ever the same, it’s the difference Charlotte makes that keeps her coming back to work every day.

“The best thing about being a Patient Transfer Officer is the gratitude you receive from patients and their families when you help them get to the next part of their treatment or recovery,” she says.

The Patient Transfer Service transports 43,000 patients every year, ensuring they are clinically safe during transport but also to offer an empathic ear and reassuring smile when they need more than just clinical care.

Charlotte remembers picking up a patient from an international flight at Wellington airport. The flight came in from Amsterdam after a Wellington resident suffered a stroke whilst on holiday. A flight nurse travelled over to collect the patient and ensured they were well looked after on their journey home. On the ride to hospital the patient’s husband told Charlotte all about what happened, looking to her for reassurance.

“I explained the next part of the process – treatment and recovery, and tried to make him feel at ease. More often than not you provide emotional support for the families and friends of those you are transporting, because they are just as worried or concerned as the patient” says Charlotte.

With 50 team members transferring 120 patients every day, it’s not uncommon for Patient Transfer Officers to see a patient just once or twice on their road to recovery. Charlotte says some patient’s share amazing stories and teach incredible life lessons even in the short time they cross paths, “it’s really hard when you’re taking them to the hospice for palliative care, or you just never see them again, after you’ve shared so much with them.”

With the patient who travelled from Amsterdam, Charlotte transferred her and her husband multiple times between Wellington Hospital and Kenepuru over the four weeks following the initial transfer.

“Each time I picked them up they were always happy to see me and it was great seeing her improve. When we first met she couldn’t stand and wasn’t very responsive. Eventually she made great progress and was discharged from hospital. Her husband said he was going to take her for follow up appointments so just before she went home I made the time to go and see them both on the ward.”

A few months later they passed each other at the hospital and shared a very special moment. After they all recognised each other, they spent time reflecting on the patients incredible recovery and enjoyed catching up under more ‘normal’ circumstances.

Jobs like Charlotte’s come with both highs and lows, with some patients suffering injuries and illnesses that are difficult to manage. “We take a lot of young people to the acute brain injury unit. Some of their stories are very sad, they show you photos of their life before the accident and when they’re the same age as you it really hits home.”

But with most cases Charlotte is part of a positive story.

“My favourite moments are when a patient is discharged after a stay in hospital and you get to take them home to their family and friends. Everyone is waiting for them with huge smiles and heaps of happiness.” she says.