As well as providing vital support for doctors, medical students and their families in times of crisis, the RMBF aims to raise awareness of issues in the medical profession that lead to difficulties.
In previous years, we have undertaken national campaigns aiming to spotlight the issues that doctors are facing.
More recently, we have done much work within the profession and with other organisations helping doctors, advocating for better working conditions and protection from workplace discrimination.
Past campaigns
Together for Doctors
In spite of the ‘bravado’ culture that is seen to prevail in medicine – a culture which places value on the ability to work under pressure and cope with long hours – rising targets and demands on resources are taking their toll. We aimed to raise awareness of the need to offer support to doctors throughout the UK who are working under increasing difficulty and scrutiny, as well as encouraging doctors themselves to come forward and seek help when they need it.
We surveyed over 1,800 senior hospital doctors, GPs, trainees and charity supporters to gather their views on how work pressures are affecting doctors and what could be done to help.
Looking back over the charity’s 180-year lifetime, we also aimed to celebrate the doctors who have made iconic contributions to the wellbeing of the medical profession. The Doctor’s Doctor profiles 10 medics who have each been nominated for the significant influence they have had on today’s working conditions: from fighting for the right of women to study and practise medicine, to establishing professional organisations that still support doctors today.
Med Students Matter
The Med Students Matter campaign celebrates the contribution medical students make to the NHS and highlights the need for more support to ensure they can complete their training. Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that more than 1,000 medical students had withdrawn from their course in a five-year period., and an RMBF survey showed that 60% of students had experienced financial pressure during their medical degree.
In 2017 we also revamped our Medical Student Programme, providing financial grants instead of the previous hardship loans, and releasing a new, student-focused instalment in our series of wellbeing guides, The Vital Signs.
What’s Up Doc?
Our 2016 campaign highlighted the stress and pressure doctors face at work, with alarming numbers of doctors experiencing mental health issues as a result of work pressures. We released key survey findings and held an expert roudtable debate at the Royal College of GPs in London.