PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: Friday, 17 November 2017
MDDUS fully supports the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund’s (RMBF) new campaign, Together for Doctors, which aims to raise awareness of the need to offer support to doctors working under increasing difficulty and scrutiny.
As part of the new campaign, the RMBF released figures from their survey of over 1,800 senior hospital doctors, GPs, trainees and charity supporters that revealed some of the pressures facing doctors in their day-to-day lives.
Two thirds of those responding said they wouldn’t recommend medicine as a career to their children, while 93 per cent think there is a ‘bravado’ culture within medicine that values being able to work under pressure and cope with long hours.
Better rostering and additional admin support were two of a number of key environmental factors which respondents believed could improve a doctor’s working day.
Commenting on the new RMBF campaign, MDDUS Joint Head of Medical Division Dr John Holden said: “We fully support the excellent work of the RMBF in raising awareness and supporting doctors facing increasing pressure.
“Doctors are renowned for being resilient and a rise in the volume and complexity of workload coupled with diminishing resources means their job has never been more demanding.
“More and more doctors are suffering from stress or health problems as workload increases. From our experience at MDDUS, seeking help early can make all the difference for those who face these problems.
“Speaking to a colleague or their own GP about these issues should not be seen as a sign of weakness. Doctors who are concerned about a colleague’s wellbeing are advised to be sensitive and encourage them to seek help.”
More details of the RMBF campaign can be found here. You can also support the campaign via Twitter using the hashtag #togetherfordoctors
MDDUS has previously supported the RMBF by sponsoring The Vital Signs for Medical Students, a free online guide which provides advice and information to help medical students cope with the demands of studying medicine. MDDUS also sponsored and took part in an RMBF roundtable debate exploring ways of helping doctors suffering from stress and burnout.
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For further information contact Richard Hendry on 0333 0434444 or 07976 272266, or email rihendry@mddus.com.
Note to editors
MDDUS (The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland) is a medical and dental defence organisation providing access to professional indemnity and expert medico- and dento-legal advice for doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals throughout the UK.
This page was correct at the time of publication. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.