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It’s a long-running gambit on quiz shows to help struggling contestants — and now lonely and vulnerable patients will have the chance to ‘phone a friend’.
Family doctors will refer them to volunteers who are ready to listen and chat, helping to boost their health and reduce social isolation.
More than 1,000 helpers have already signed up to the relaunched Check in and Chat service, which is part of the volunteer programme.
Pharmacists and other healthcare staff will also encourage those who would benefit from a Sex Video Chat ‘and a bit of encouragement’ to request the service.
Research cited by the Royal College of Nursing suggests loneliness can be as bad for health as obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes daily with a higher risk of cognitive decline.
Lonely and vulnerable patients will have the chance to ‘phone a friend’
The NHS volunteer responders programme was set up at the start of the pandemic in 2020 to support those who were isolating with tasks such as shopping, getting medication and lifts.
The Daily Mail encouraged thousands to join the initiative with its Helpforce campaign during lockdown. In total, 400,000 volunteers carried out 2.2million tasks to support patients and the NHS.
The decision to bring back the service follows concern that many patients had lost social connections during the pandemic.
A survey of health and care professionals whose patients used Check in and Chat during lockdown showed nearly nine in ten said it could help again now.
Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, praised the volunteers who have signed up to make the ‘invaluable calls’.
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS news" data-version="2" id="mol-55f625b0-bbab-11ed-99fc-17b3aeb10afb" website to prescribe phone calls to help the lonely