A hospital charity and a furniture company have teamed up to help make the working life of a community nursing team more comfortable.

Thanks to the generosity of Tavistock Hospital League of Friends and Fairway Furniture, the Livewell Southwest Tavistock Community Nursing team has a new communal dining room, replacing the need to eat at their desks.

The new dining furniture, from Fairway Furniture in Tavistock, has enabled the nursing team to create a designated space, with comfortable seating and a large table where they can enjoy their breaks away from their computers and other work distractions.

To add to the comfort, the league of friends also donated a brand new coffee machine. The dining area table can also be used for meetings or training.

Fleur Varney, Tavistock modern matron, said: “Our team is based in one big office and previously we would eat at our desks in between visits.

“We recognise how important it is for colleagues to be able to take a break and move away from their immediate work environment.

“This generous donation ensures the team can make their lunchtimes a social occasion, sitting together around the new table and generating conversations.

“It’s been fantastic for our morale, and the fresh coffee has been going down well too. We are hugely grateful to everyone who donated.”

The Tavistock community nursing service – often known as district nursing – offers high quality nursing care to people in their own home or nursing home.

Led by a district nurse team manager, the team includes district nurses, community sisters and charge nurses, long-term condition matrons, assistant practitioners, auxiliaries and phlebotomists (health care professionals trained in taking blood for diagnosis).

Livewell Southwest links its district nursing teams to the locations of GP surgeries, providing a 365 days a year service, including out-of-hours.