BreaCan and The Royal Melbourne Hospital are trialling a collaboration which aims to extend supportive care to women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, through the use of BreaCan peer support volunteers. The project seeks to understand the benefits that trained peer support volunteers may bring women undergoing treatment and how this service initiative might be provided within the hospital environment.
Both anecdotal and practice evidence suggests that women would benefit from connecting with a woman who has been through a similar experience, while undergoing treatment. BreaCan and RMH have been working closely to shape the project, with the aim of extending it to women with gynaecological cancer in the future.
Seven experienced BreaCan peer support volunteers have nominated to be involved with the project and have recently gone through training at the hospital. Two volunteers will work every Thursday from 10am – 2pm at the hospital, beginning at the end of April.