Southland The Ensign A group of volunteers was officially handed over from Hato Hone St John to Gore Health last week after the closure of a dedicated emergency department procedures programme. An afternoon tea last Tuesday formalised the handover between the two organisations and the 12 volunteers officially became a part of Gore Health. It follows the finalisation of St John’s Friends of the Hospital volunteer programme — part of the organisation’s shift in focus from emergency department work to illness prevention. The programme has run at Gore Health since 2014 and contributed an estimated 1500 hours of volunteer service per year. St John Southland Lakes district operations manager Dame Pauline Buchanan attended the afternoon tea. Dame Pauline described the changeover as a natural transition rather than a loss. She praised the volunteers for their service and presented each with a thank-you card to acknowledge their work. Diane White was given a pounamu necklace to acknowledge her role as team leader.…