In March, we launched an urgent fundraising appeal, to enable us to support doctors on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. The response so far has been nothing short of amazing.
Thanks to the generosity of you, our supporters, we’ve been able to provide immediate practical help. We’ve also been able to put plans in place for the coming months. As the current peak passes, and doctors start to move back towards normal medical practice, they face a mammoth task and will need our support more than ever before. We’ve already given financial assistance to doctors who have experienced hardship due to Covid-19, and I wanted to give you an idea of the sort of help your kind donations have enabled us to give – and will continue to do so.
As one example, we can support childcare costs for doctors who are single parents under financial stress. Many are unable to call on family members, and are facing escalating childcare costs due to nursery closures. We can provide the financial support that enables them to balance A&E shifts with childcare during the pandemic.
For doctors struggling with their mental health, we can provide access to much-needed psychotherapeutic support. DocHealth, our joint service with the BMA, has an accessible self-referral model and helps doctors with issues including stress, anxiety and depression.
We will soon be launching more online wellbeing services, too. We know that many doctors working on the frontline of the pandemic have experienced a variety of worrying thoughts. Feelings of distress, helplessness, guilt, and of being unprepared, unprotected or not in control of the events they face. Our new online services will provide a source of support, information and practical advice to help doctors to get back on an even keel.
All of this is only possible with your help. We are so grateful for the response to our urgent appeal – it is making a huge difference and we cannot thank our supporters enough.
Steve Crone
Chief Executive