Cancer patients in Dundee are being excluded from accessing support because of a lack of suitable transport, it has been claimed.
Dr Julie Wardrop from CANDU (Dundee Cancer Support Network) said the charity is looking to establish a team of volunteer drivers to tame the “elephant in the room”.
CANDU is a group of cancer patients and survivors from the Dundee area who are passionate about using their lived experience to help others affected by cancer in any way they can.
Dr Wardrop said: “To really help those most in need we have to face up to the elephant in the room – people living with cancer are being excluded from accessing the support they so desperately need because of the lack of suitable transport.
“Many are unable to drive and avoid public transport due to health limitations or they simply don’t use buses or taxis because the expense is prohibitive.
“Working with the Xplore and Stagecoach bus companies we have managed to secure a limited number of free temporary bus passes for cancer patients experiencing financial hardship.
“However, this does not help those too unwell to use public transport.
“We hope to establish a team of volunteer CANDU drivers to provide transport for people living with cancer so they can attend support activities offered across the city by all of the network organisations.
“We need reliable volunteers and a wheelchair accessible vehicle to make this a reality.”
CANDU facilitates a patient-led network which brings together representatives of cancer support services in Dundee with people who have a lived experience of cancer.
The charity has co-designed and co-produced projects with Macmillan Cancer Support, Maggie’s Dundee, Volunteer Dundee and NHS Tayside and also deliver community-based, wellbeing projects at its new home in South Tay Street.
They also offer a variety of wellbeing and social activities at the building, which are all designed to support participants to live well with the physical, mental and emotional challenges a cancer diagnosis can bring.
Dr Wardrop said: “As well as missing out on accessing local support services, patients can also suffer from social isolation due to a lack of suitable transport, often unable to undertake everyday activities such as shopping and social activities which we all take for granted such as visiting the cinema, theatre, restaurants, bars, cafés, football matches or even just visiting or meeting friends and family.”
Volunteers can contact Dr Wardrop at CANDU on 01382 525395 or e-mail info@cancerdundee.org
