Every week, our Telephone Support Volunteers spend time chatting with patients and/or their carers, offering regular social phone calls that help people feel heard, supported and less alone. These conversations are not clinical, and instead focus on everyday connection. Volunteers talk about hobbies, daily life and the things that matter to our patients, bringing comfort and companionship to people living with a life-limiting illness.

In the first year of the service, our 11 incredible Telephone Support Volunteers made over 550 calls, spending a total of 130 hours on the phone.

Before this service was introduced, our Wellbeing Nurses made these calls. By introducing our trained Telephone Support Volunteers, nurses are now able to focus on more patients who need clinical intervention, for example help with pain management and symptom control, as well as reducing waiting lists for our services.

Sally, one of our Telephone Support Volunteers, said:

Often, when people think of hospice care, they imagine the very end of life. But Myton supports people right from the start of their journey. The people we speak to often just want a friendly chat with someone who isn’t a carer, a friend, or a family member – someone outside their usual circle. It’s a fantastic way to offer support.

Michelle Linnane, Associate Director of Service Development and Improvement at The Myton Hospices, said:

We are incredibly proud of the work our Telephone Support Volunteers have done in their first year, we recently took the opportunity to celebrate and thank them for the huge difference they have made by giving their time to make these calls.

The support they provide is vital in reducing isolation and increasing connection for those living with a life-limiting illness. Their friendly conversations help patients and their carers feel valued and listened to, offering companionship at a time when many may feel alone.

The funders of the project said:

The trustees are really pleased to help the innovative telephone support project that has been running for one year now at Myton. The project has been successful in recruiting and training the volunteers thus enabling clinical staff to really focus on their specialties.

After meeting the volunteers at the one-year anniversary of the project, it was so pleasing to see how they have bonded to form a team and are willing to help the service users. A very successful project that we are proud to have supported

Our Telephone Support Volunteers are part of The Myton Hospices’ Compassionate Communities programme – a range of services designed to help people in the community access support when and where they need it. By engaging with local people and communities, the programme ensures more individuals receive the support they need.

Currently people can access this support through our Patient and Carer Wellbeing Service, with our Compassionate Communities programme being fully rolled out later this year.