North Derbyshire Expert Patient Buddies are friendly and compassionate volunteers - they have all been diagnosed with prostate, breast and other cancers, or have cared for someone with cancer. They are comprehensively trained to offer telephone (and when appropriate face-to-face) emotional support to people affected by cancer. Buddies offer a weekly phone call lasting no more than 60 minutes, at a time that is mutually convenient for the service receiver and the buddy. Whilst they have been trained specifically to support people affected by cancer, they have extended their support to non-cancer patients in need of a regular friendly phone call during these challenging times, especially those who shielding or self-isolating.
So far our Buddy Service has received 100% positive feedback. Interim service feedback has indicated that service receivers wish to continue with Buddy support. The service has been described as a ‘life line’ providing an opportunity for patients and carers to share experience and gain reassurance that they would have otherwise sought from clinicians and other health care professionals.
The Expert Patient Programme has been accredited against the Macmillan Volunteering Standards, so you can be assured that the support offered will be of a high standard and compliant with best practice.
