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.
Our new campaign, Together for Doctors, aims 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. Doctors work tirelessly to support us all in our times of need, yet worryingly many feel unable to ask for help when things aren’t going well for them. We know that there are many more doctors in this country who could benefit from the RMBF’s help.
In 2017, 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. These survey results have been released to the media, to help spotlight the need to support medics under pressure, and spread the word about the help that the RMBF can offer.
We also hope that the campaign will inspire doctors, medical students and their families to support their colleagues with fundraising activities – and we’ve put together an RMBF Fundraising Pack with ideas and resources to help you get started.
Looking back over the charity’s 180-year lifetime, we’re also aiming 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.
Read more on the Together for Doctors campaign via the links below, and help spread the word to your friends colleagues via Twitter (#togetherfordoctors) and Facebook!