A PIONEERING buddy scheme is set to improve the care of cancer patients in hospitals.

Whiston and St Helens hospitals have been chosen to help share their positive experiences with another hospital in Surrey.

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was identified by the cancer patient experience survey as being one of the most highly rated by patients.

It will be mentoring Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey to help them improve their patients’ experience of care.

Ann Marr, chief executive, said: “We’re really pleased to be part of this important project.

“We have a lot of respect for our buddy trust for taking part in the scheme too.

“It shows a real commitment to improving patients’ experience of care to take part.

“We’re looking forward to sharing some of the work we’ve done at Whiston and St Helens hospitals and supporting them to try out new ways of working.

“I’m sure both sides will learn a lot from this experience.”

The buddy scheme is being run by NHS Improving Quality, the national NHS improvement organisation.

The aim of the scheme is to spread and accelerate innovative practice via peer to peer support and learning.

It is hoped this will lead to a reduction in national variation in cancer patients’ experiences of care.

All the trusts involved have volunteered to take part in the improvement programme.

Sean Duffy, national clinical director for cancer for NHS England said: “At a time when the NHS is treating more patients for cancer than ever before, we want to be sure everyone is getting the best possible treatment wherever they live.

“This scheme is a great example of how we can take the results of an important survey and use them to drive swift action to improve patient care.”

Jagtar Dhanda, head of inclusion at Macmillan Cancer Support said: "Every single patient should be treated with the highest levels of dignity, respect and compassion, but sadly this doesn't always happen.

“Whilst the NHS delivers great care every day, there is a lack of consistency.

“For example, we know that if someone is diagnosed with a rarer cancer, if they come from an ethnic minority background or live in certain parts of the country they are more likely to have a bad experience.

“This new buddy scheme will provide exciting opportunities to bring NHS trusts together, to learn from and support each other.

“Only by being open and spreading good practice will we reduce the variations in people’s experiences.

“This is a great first step in providing a way for staff to do this.”