Since 2021, the MDU has enabled the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF) to support over 500 doctors throughout their medical career, from financial assistance in the form of grants and loans, to a phone befriending scheme for those who may feel isolated.
One beneficiary of the RMBF’s support commented:
"I just wanted to say a heartfelt thanks, I instantly cried when I received the news. It will go a long way to helping relieve some of the financial stresses and help me get to the finish line of completing my medical degree."
Doctors in Distress, a charity that promotes and protects the mental health of all healthcare workers and aims to prevent suicides in the medical profession, also collaborated with the MDU in 2024 to produce a 10-week peer support group for foundation doctors.
Doctors in Distress also offers a range of free online programmes such as creative writing, photography and living with grief, through which medical professionals can come together and learn from fellow medics with lived mental health experiences.
Feedback from these groups has been overwhelmingly positive with participants commenting:
- "It provided a forum to discuss similar issues that others have faced and are still currently facing today. It is the first forum where I feel that I am heard."
- "A space to be valued not just as a number and a nameless member of a workforce but allowed the time and space to express our humanity and personality in a way that our jobs often will not allow us."
- "Thank you for helping those of us who have difficulties believing in ourselves because of mental health problems and thank you for offering examples of people who were able to succeed in the medical profession despite their difficulty with mental health issues!"
Dr Udvitha Nandasoma, the MDU's head of advisory services, said:
"I’m delighted that the MDU’s support has enabled theses charities to help and support so many medical professionals facing challenging personal circumstances. The financial and psychological support is of huge value to recipients.
"At the MDU, we're always looking for ways to support our members and are proud to partner with organisations who also guide and support medical professionals."
Steven Crone, chief executive of the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, commented:
"We are very grateful for the support that the MDU and its foundation members have provided, which enables us to expand our programmes and increase the level of support we offer to medical students and their families."
Susannah Basile, interim chief executive of Doctors in Distress, explained:
"One in four doctors will experience mental illness in their career. The pressures that doctors are facing as we come into winter only exacerbates this. We are very grateful to the MDU for its support to enable us to continue to give doctors a space to process the emotional impact of their work."
Learn more about the MDU's charity partnership scheme with Doctors in Distress and the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund.
This page was correct at publication on 16/01/2025. 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.