Patient advocate volunteer

The Service Pledge is a programme dedicated to improving breast care services. We gather feedback from patients diagnosed with primary and secondary (metastatic) breast cancer and hospital staff about their breast care service. Patients and hospital staff then work together in partnership to turn their feedback into an action plan to improve their service.

As a patient advocate, you will work alongside local patients and healthcare professionals to help them improve their local breast care service. You will also bring an objective patient voice to the development of improvements, using your own experience of breast cancer.

• Attend patient focus groups to assist with note taking
• Review patient and staff survey feedback, and work with Breast Cancer Now staff to identify key areas of improvement
• Meet with local patients to further understand how their breast care service could be improved and support them to share these suggestion during the ‘improvement discussions’ with hospital staff
• Attend ‘improvement discussions’ with hospital staff, local patients, other Patient Advocates and Breast Cancer Now staff to discuss potential improvements for the breast care service
• Provide an impartial patient perspective to breast care services developing their improvements

• Experience of representing the patient voice or advocating for others, ideally within a healthcare setting
• To have a diagnosis of primary breast cancer and be at least 6 months past the finish of active (hospital based) treatment or to have a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer and be at least 6 months from your diagnosis
• Experience of using Microsoft Teams or Zoom, (or a willingness to learn)

• To have an interest in patient involvement
• You will be a strong communicator and confident speaking during meetings
• Attention to detail when taking notes for meetings and when reading and analysing feedback
• Empathy and great listening skills
• You’ll will be able to refer to your own experiences, when necessary, whilst remaining objective
• Access to a laptop or similar device, and confidence using this
• Able to work within Breast Cancer Now’s policies and guidelines, including respecting confidentiality, safeguarding, and data protection

The Service Pledge runs over several months. This role will involve approximately 4 to 5 hours a month for the duration of the project.

• You’ll attend a 2 hour online welcome workshop introducing you to the charity
• You’ll receive role specific training, giving you more information about the Service Pledge project, what is involved, and some exercises to help you prepare for the role
• The volunteer hub is there to support you and hold regular online events for volunteers
• You will attend an online Service Pledge welcome meeting where you’ll meet the team and other patient advocates involved in the project

• You will gain further experience of advocacy work
• You will gain an understanding of how patient involvement can improve health care services
• You will develop your communication and influencing skills

We ask you to volunteer for 4 to 5 hours per month.