Welcome to our Clinic twinning initiative
Our concept twins isolated clinics in Zambia with clinics (GP surgeries, Outpatient Departments or Hospital Wards) in the UK.
Can you imagine travelling 100km to see a doctor about your diabetes? This can be a reality for some people in sub-Saharan Africa.
the Virtual Doctors have a solution to help patients be treated in their local area.
Using an app, the Virtual Doctors connects isolated healthcare workers with volunteer doctors for expert medical advice. With access to over 23 specialities, the healthcare workers can then draw on this support to provide excellent medical care to their patients in their local community.
This can help to save lives
When you raise funds for our Twinning Scheme, your support will enable the Virtual Doctors service to continue in your twinned Health Clinic in Zambia. It’s a really simple, yet effective idea. You and your colleagues mobilise to fundraise to reach your target, (which we suggest is at least £1500). Your efforts could help to fund the Virtual Doctors service in a twinned clinic for around a year. You will all be helping to saves lives within a community.
Since its inception, the Virtual Doctors service has given expert medical advice to over 2,000** patients. We know that that advice:
improved patient’s symptoms in 92% of cases
prevented 78% of unnecessary referrals allowing the patients to be treated and cared for in their community
97% of the advice was deemed to be educational by the healthcare worker***
“Wow!! This is very educational advice, both practically and theoretically.
It will indeed improve my management skills for burns.” (Jonathan, healthcare worker)
the Virtual Doctors also provides ongoing education to the healthcare workers, supporting them to be self-sufficient and proficient in the most up to date medicine. See The Virtual Doctor’s Podcast page
Want to help?
Step 1 - If you haven’t yet done so then get in touch with us and nominate your surgery today!
If we already know you want to be involved, then thank you for your interest.
Our admin team will assign a clinic to you for 1 year, with an aim to raise £1500. We will send you a fundraising pack to get you started, from here it is down to you and your team to raise the funds anyway youd like. We have some ideas below to help you.
Fundraising Pack Contents:
A3 posters
A5 flyers
Gift aid envelope box - Surprisingly effective but please keep them secure.
Cash collection pots - Surprisingly effective but please keep them secure
Information on the clinic you are twinned with
Spare signs, tissue paper and security seals
Instructions on money handling
A-Z ways to fundraise
Step 2 - brainstorm some ideas together with colleagues and make a plan. Then just go for it
To keep awareness high – why not consider adding a link to your newsletter, website or Facebook page.
You will probably want to come up with your own ideas but to help stimulate thought here are some suggestions:
Set up a fundraising online team page, A-Z of fundraising ideas – a wealth of ideas to get you creatively thinking (download pdf of A-Z for print), shout about what you are doing and put your clinic in the spotlight
Contact your local newspaper and local radio stations, they will love local interest stories. They may be prepared to run articles on your Clinic Twinning initiative which will help to raise awareness and sponsorship. The Twinning team can also provide press release templates or offer more ideas and information. Just fire off an email to us, We’re here to help!
Our Twinning Team will also want to keep in touch with you, offering information and support for the duration of your initiative, and we will monitor your online page too.
Finally, when you reach your target we will want to say a BIG THANK YOU and help you celebrate. To show our appreciation and congratulate you we will send: -
Thank you letter from the Virtual Doctors
A framed A3 colour photo of your twinned clinic and healthcare worker
Optional Thank You cards for donors
Quotes and content for your newsletter or any local PR
We would also like to keep you informed in the future with updates about your twinned clinic and our general work, explaining how your efforts have helped to save lives. You could also opt to receive regular newsletters.
How the twinning funds will be spent
£1500 will contribute towards operating our service in a rural health clinic. This includes purchasing a smart phone and data, and training costs for the healthcare worker. Costs can be variable depending on location of the clinic and local economy/staff, but every penny will help.
Funds raised will help us support and set up new clinics in isolated areas of Zambia too, provide ongoing education for healthcare workers.
You’re now part of the Twinning Team… Happy Fundraising!
*The funds you raise may not necessarily be spent exclusively on your twinned clinic but your efforts will always make a difference to the lives of people in rural Zambia.
** (case numbers as at October 2018)
***(Statistics Oct 2018 survey)