In November, as part of our Together for Doctors campaign, the RMBF’s Trustees put forward a 10-strong list of doctors who have made vital contributions to the support and reform of the profession – and we asked you, our supporters, to vote for your most influential figure.

Today we can announce that your choice for “The Doctor’s Doctor” is Dr Kate Granger MBE, who received over half of all votes cast.

Kate was diagnosed with incurable cancer in 2011. During one stay in hospital, she observed with alarm that many of the staff looking after her did not introduce themselves before delivering care. This led her to launch the Hello My Name Is campaign, which has the simple but vital goal of encouraging healthcare staff to introduce themselves to patients.

The campaign immediately proved popular and transformative, especially on Twitter where the #hellomynameis hashtag spread widely. Within two years, the campaign had won the backing of over 400,000 health professionals from 90 organisations, pledging to introduce themselves by name at work.

In 2014, NHS England created the Kate Granger Awards for Compassionate Care, and Kate was also elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, the first doctor-in-training ever to become a Fellow. She also championed better end-of-life care, and through fundraising events and the proceeds of her two books, raised over £250,000 for Yorkshire Cancer Centre.

Kate died in 2016, but the impact of her work continues through the Hello My Name Is campaign, and her husband Chris Pointon continues to spread the word at events worldwide. The recognition from RMBF supporters in voting Kate the Doctor’s Doctor shows how deeply her efforts to improve quality of life for both doctors and patients have resonated with the profession.

Our thanks to everyone who voted and helped to spread the word.

Read the full list of nominees

Find out more about Together for Doctors

Header photo by Paul Clarke