Useful Links
Here you will find links to various resources we believe you may find useful.
Click a title to reveal the links for that subject.
- One of the objects of the Cameron Fund is the prevention of hardship and we thought you may be interested in our new initiative to target newly qualified GPs.
https://youtu.be/JRWt32ZS0OE
- Website and Facebook page with ongoing actions for happiness.
- A UK charity working solely in the field of drug and alcohol treatment, offering harm reduction services and structured day care programmes. Services throughout the UK.
Tel: 020 7251 5860
- An addictions helpline offering free help for anyone affected by addiction including eating disorders with advice on both NHS & private drug & alcohol treatment options.
Tel: 0800 44 88688 (freephone)
- National charity offering support and information aiming to reduce drinking in the UK. Useful tools and resources on the website
- A fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking
0800 9177 650 or contact by email: help@aamail.org or online chat via the website
- Meditation to Relax, sleep, relieve anxiety and lower stress.
Calm is a popular mindfulness app, free beginner programme with option to upgrade.
“Discover the life-changing benefits of meditation and mindfulness. Calm has free guided meditations and sleep stories to help you relax, sleep and feel happier”.
- Free positive mental health training app from the foundation for positive mental health
- Helps to spot patterns in mood and behaviour
- The At a Loss website is an excellent resource and signposts to support relevant to your situation and useful resources to help you deal with your loss.
- The AUDIT is a more detailed questionnaire. It has been developed by the World Health Organization as a simple screening tool to pick up the early signs of hazardous and harmful drinking and identify mild dependence.
- Beat is a national charity providing information, help and support for people affected by eating disorders and, in particular, anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
- Set up by paediatric trainees looking at finding work-life balance and work being ‘more than just a tick box’
- Blog by Dr Johnathon Tomlinson, an NHS GP in Hackney. “Most of my posts are about the relationships between GPs and patients and how health policy impacts on that”.
- Emergency medicine consultant’s blog about his work-related breakdown
- Change From Within is a space with two purposes or goals. First, it is a space for me to share my thoughts on social justice through the lenses of community, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, class, and hopefully much more! In my work as a diversity consultant and professional presenter on issues of diversity, I encourage people to see introspection and relationship building as key to making the changes in oneself that inevitably lead to changes in our society and culture: hence the name Change From Within.
- A GP’s blog about being a GP, a mum, a sufferer of burnout and depression and, most of all, being a human.
- A GP blog. “For those who truly value General Practice in the UK”.
- ‘The BMA Charities can help all doctors and medical students in times of need. You do not need to be a BMA member to apply. The Fund can provide one-off grants to doctors and their dependents for specific items in times of crisis. It provides:
Annual grants to medical students who are taking medicine as a second degree. Application packs for these grants are only available from November to mid-January each year.
One-off grants to medical students who are in immediate and serious financial need.
One-off grants to unemployed doctors for essential items such as utility bills, travel and disability.equipment.
One-off grants to working doctors in financial hardship for help with the GMC retention fee and professional indemnity insurance.
Grants to refugee and asylum-seeking doctors to meet the costs of taking the PLAB exams and GMC registration.
Money advice for any doctor who is having difficulty managing financially.
- Offers 24 hour telephone peer support help and structured counselling sessions. You can remain anonymous and you do not have to be a BMA member to access support. Covers alcohol, substance abuse, debt as well as issues such as depression, stress, bullying and GMC issues
Call: 0300 123 1245
Email: wellbeingsupport@bma.org.uk
- Free debt advice for small businesses and self employed in England and Wales, offers webchat and telephone support
- This easy-to-use patient questionnaire is a screening test for problem drinking and potential alcohol problems.[1] The CAGE questions should not be preceded by any questions about alcohol intake - ie its sensitivity is dramatically enhanced by an open-ended introduction.
- Christians Against Poverty specialises in offering free emotional help and support with managing debt – there is no religious focus.
- Dr Phil Hammond talks about daily “clangers” – habits of healthy people to promote wellbeing which many of the doctors we spoke to found useful to live by.
- 0300 111 2285 (mobile friendly) or 0800 612 0225 10am – 10pm Every Day
- This is a twelve-step programme for anyone who wants to stop incurring unsecured debt.
If you feel anxious when bills arrive, lack control over your spending and are unable to save – this organisation offers support and encourages careful record keeping and monitoring of finances – including purchases, income, and debt payments – so that you get a clearer picture of your spending habits.
This information is used to develop healthier spending practices, supporting you in keeping a reasonable quality of life while still repaying debt. Similarly, DA recommends developing plans for the future to increase your income.
- Depression and Substance Abuse | Dual Diagnosis
- Doctors who face GMC investigations or license withdrawal have access to a new, confidential support service from the BMA. We recognise that being subject to a complaint or learning your license is at risk can be uniquely and deeply stressful.
We also understand that many doctors might not have anyone to confide in while they undergo a GMC investigation. As a result the GMC commissioned us to provide the Doctor support service, which offers emotional help from fellow doctors and functions independently of the GMC.
Call 020 7383 6707 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Email: doctorsupportservice@bma.org.uk
- Network of support groups for doctors recovering from, or seeking to recover from, addiction to or dependency on alcohol or other drugs. : 07792 819 966
Founded in London in 1973 by two doctors recovering from alcohol addiction, who recognised the benefits of meetings and mutual support of others with similar experiences, the BBDG now operates along the lines of AA however exclusively for doctors and dentists.
They currently run 17 meetings throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland and are also allied with a group to provide support for the families of doctors and dentists who are addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Telephone: 0779 2819 966
Email: info@bddg.org
- A free service with doctors attending from all across the UK whose primary aim is to enable those facing these bewildering and confusing situations to cope and eventually emerge with the minimum of professional and/or personal damage.
Any doctor where a complaint has been made to the GMC, can ask for support from the Doctor Support Service, which offers emotional help from fellow doctors and functions independently of the GMC.
Support is available from when a complaint is made until the outcome of the case. Doctors unable to talk with family or supportive colleagues may find the service particularly useful.
Doctors facing suspension, exclusion, investigation of complaints and/or allegations of professional misconduct are under extreme stress. They find it difficult to know how to respond or to know which professional body or people to work with for support. Members of the DSG have been through these challenging times and offer recommendations based on their individual and collective experiences.
Call: 0203 553 1570
- The Doctors’ Support Network (DSN) is a fully confidential, friendly peer support group for doctors and medical students with mental health concerns including stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, psychoses and eating disorders.
You can also get in touch by email
- Drinkchat is a free service for anyone who is looking for information or advice about their own, or someone else’s, alcohol use. Our trained advisors are on hand to give you some confidential advice. You don’t even have to make a phonecall.
- The alcohol, drug and mental health charity With You recently commissioned a poll that found 1 in 2 adults aged over 50 are drinking at a level that could cause them health problems now, or in the future. The poll also found more than four million adults aged over 50s are binge drinking at least once a week during lockdown. In this population factors such as retirement, bereavement, isolation and loss of sense of purpose can lead to increased alcohol use and this may be exacerbated by the pandemic.
In response, With You has launched an over 50s Alcohol Helpline providing support and advice to individuals aged over 50 worried about their drinking, and their concerned others. This will be available 7 days a week; Monday to Friday at 12pm - 8pm and 10am to 4pm at weekends. The number is 0808 801 0750. The helpline is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.
If you can help promote the helpline through your work with the general practitioners committee it would be much appreciated. This could be by encouraging general practitioners to share the number on their surgery website, or by directing people to the With You website where there is also an over 50s alcohol health check
- DAA is a fellowship of men and women who have recovered from drug addiction by following the Twelve Steps – a tried and tested programme of practical spiritual action.
Our fellowship attracts drug addicts from many walks of life, who between them used many different drugs, both legal and illegal.
- We provide unbiased information reviewed my medical experts so our readers can make an informed decision on the next steps in their, or a loved one’s, drug rehabilitation journey.
- A freephone crisis and support line providing support, information and help including information on local services
Tel: 0808 1 606 606
- Support for family or friends affected by a loved ones drug problem or related behavioural problems.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1pm-4pm. 6pm-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm.
Tel: 0845 1200 660
- At Family First Intervention, we recognize the powerful influence that family members have over an addicted loved one’s success in treatment. In fact, one of the main reasons that interventions and post-treatment recovery fail is because family members can’t get on the same page. Instead, they are more likely to fight and bicker, creating new problems for substance abuse interventionists to manage.
- National drugs helpline offering general advice and information. Referral onto local services. Open 24 hours.
Tel: 0800 77 66 00 (freephone)
- A free local service for adults and adolescents aged 14+ who are suffering from Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and OSFED.
- The NHS GP Health Service is a confidential NHS service for GPs and GP trainees in England.
The GP Health Service can help with issues relating to a mental health concern, including stress or depression, or an addiction problem, in particular where these might affect work.
Access the service by emailing gp.health@nhs.net or by calling 0300 0303 300. The service is available 8am – 8pm Monday – Friday and 8am – 2pm Saturday.
Please note the service is not for emergency or crisis issues. These should be directed to mainstream NHS.
- Interesting articles from GPonline regarding the rise in GPs seeking help.
- A very useful resource which will direct you to which organisation is most suited to your needs and may be able to offer financial assistance.
- A guide from the NHS - Is debt affecting your mental health? take the money advice service online tool to check
- A very powerful and thought provoking video
- International Doctors in Alcoholics Anonymous (IDAA) is a worldwide fellowship of more than 9,900 healthcare professionals, and their families, who strive to help one another to achieve and maintain recovery from addictions.
- A guide that explores the relationship between debt and mental health to how to manage your finances if you cannot work. Research from the Royal College of Psychiatrists has said that one in two adults with debts has a mental health problem and one in four people with a mental health problem is also in debt.
- A body of doctors and others with a professional interest in alcohol and alcoholism which aims to promote understanding of alcoholism, its treatment and prevention.
The MCA offers a support service and a network of regional advisors linked to medical schools.
If you would like to discuss a matter concerning yours or a colleague’s health then please contact the Medical Director, Dr Dominique Florin, in confidence
.
Email: Dominique.Florin@m-c-a.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7487 4445
- Counselling service
Our counselling service is provided by our trusted partners ICAS, who offer a personalised and professional service tailored specifically to your requirements and delivered by experienced qualified counsellors.
ICAS's telephone counselling provides immediate access to support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and face-to-face counselling sessions can be arranged near to you and at your convenience, all funded by Medical Protection.
The service is entirely independent and confidential.
Call ICAS now on 0808 189 4385 or +44 3300 241 021 from overseas and quote your Medical Protection membership number to book a free session.
- Menstrual Cycles and Mental Health
- Mental Health Awareness for Remote Workers: Practical Guide for Businesses
- Debt advice, support and online tools to manage money and debt
- Martin Lewis has a useful page that offers support, signposting and information for management of debt.
- Useful guide about debt and mental health from Martin Lewis
- Nonprofit community based meetings and support groups
Tel: 0300 999 1212
- Free telephone or web chat debt advice and free debt solutions. 0808 808 4000
- Grief is one of the most universal human experiences, but all too often, no one talks about it. On the Option B website you’ll find personal stories that deal with loss openly and honestly.
- GP blog about burnout, prevention and treatment.
- The NHS Practitioner Health Programme is an award winning, free and confidential NHS service for doctors and dentists with issues relating to a mental health concern or addiction problem, in particular where these might affect their work. Where the patient suffers an associated physical health problem our team will signpost to appropriate NHS services and may be able to offer some case management.
- Project Happiness is a website and Facebook page
- An in-depth guide about awareness and safeguarding against identity theft online
- A national charity solely dedicated to the prevention of solvent and volatile substance abuse (VSA). Offers support and information.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
Tel: 01785 817 885
- Rehab 4 Alcoholism provides independent advice for those seeking drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Offers treatment programmes throughout the United Kingdom and abroad.
- Read the BMA guide about what to do if you are concerned about a colleague
- Offers counselling for those affected by drug and alcohol use and their families. For professionals and public – free and confidential specialist advice via telephone or email from lawyers and drug professionals about a range of issues including drug information, effects of drugs, harm reduction, matters involving drug dependency, types of treatment including maintenance prescribing and abstinence.
Advice on legal matters such as travelling with prescribed controlled drugs, drug testing in the workplace, impact of (past) criminal convictions and cautions, charges involving possession of drugs, charges involving intention to supply drugs and cannabis cultivation offence.
Telephone: 020 7324 2989
The telephone help & advice line is open from 11am—1pm & 2pm—4pm Monday to Friday. A message service is available 24 hours and we will return your call within one business day.
Email: ask@release.org.uk
- Financial support and/or Debt Management Advice if you’re unable to work and have little in the way of income or savings.
- The RMF offers assistance to registered doctors and their families who are in financial hardship.
Practical assistance is given in three ways:
Provision of regular payments to their widows, widowers and their children.
Provision of one-off grants when emergency help is required.
In exceptional circumstances, we can provide assistance with school fees for sons or daughters of registered doctors enabling them to maintain educational stability at times of distress caused by illness, bereavement or financial need in their family.
- The SADQ is a short, self-administered, 20-item questionnaire was developed by the Addiction Research Unit at the Maudesley Hospital to measure severity of dependence on alcohol.
- Online community supporting those attempting to remain abstinent from alcohol
- Society for assistance of medical families, offers assistance to members in the first instance but utilises surplus funds to assist non-members.
Examples of help offered by the society includes retraining and reskilling, support to medical students and the children of doctors studying other courses to enable them to undertake their education and widow/er and family support following death.
- They have 25 years’ experience providing free, expert debt advice. We offer the widest range of practical debt solutions of any provider in the UK.
- Check how your mental health compares with the national average with this tool from the Mental Health Foundation. This is not a diagnostic indicator of a mental health disorder but looks at levels of positive mental health
Check your mood with this simple questionnaire from NHS choices and get advice on what may help
- Offers free resources such as ebooks and podcasts which help you be your best self and find happiness
- A self-help organisation whose aim is to support all family members who are suffering, or have suffered, from the effects of a doctor’s or dentist’s addiction.
- The Cameron Fund is the only service that solely supports GPs and their families in times of financial hardship and need – whether through ill-health, disability, death or loss of employment.
- The Complete Sleep Guide for insomnia
- The Fund is part of the BMA Charities (you do not need to be a BMA member) and helps with the education and support of doctors’ children when there are financial problems in the family.
In most of the families helped the parents are out of work or on a very low income. The Fund particularly welcomes applications from refugee doctors.
Grants are made for items such as school clothing, school trips, essential IT equipment, disability equipment, breakfast clubs and, occasionally, short-term school fees, however, the fund is unable to help with childcare costs for working doctors.
- The pain of financial stress, and what you can do about it
- Independent charity offering free confidential help and support for doctors suffering from addiction to drugs and alcohol via their 24 hour helpline.
The trust can arrange contact with rehabilitation support services and support for relatives. The website has personal stories from doctors who have suffered with addiction.
They are happy to take anonymous calls and also to talk to colleagues or family members of anyone experiencing dependency issue. There is no limit to how many times you can contact the service.
- Turn2us is an national charity heping people when times get tough. They provide financial support to help people get back on track and help you find the support and information you need to access the money you are missing out on.
- NHS Drinks Tracker
- Worried you may be depressed? Take the PHQ9
- Counselling
Our professional counsellors are available 24/7 to help you deal, completely anonymously, with a variety of issues, including stress, anxiety and isolation.
By seeking help sooner you can identify the root causes of your concerns and develop strategies to reduce the impact of the consequences.
Peer support
Speak to someone who can relate to your situation. Our peer support service offers confidential advice with an emotional focus.
Ask to speak with a doctor and you will be given the details of one of our team, who are experienced in supporting colleagues like you.
- The channel aims to keep members, non-membes and the public up to date with the latest news from the BMA.
- Database of medical websites, GP news and Medeconomics.
- Professional body empowered by develop and maintain high standards of training, competence and professional integrity in occupational medicine.
- This website co-ordinates and streamlines the collection and sharing of data about health and adult social care for health professionals.
- The Information Commissioner's Office is the UK's independent authority set up to promote access to official information and to protect personal information
- Represents and supports the interests of all primary health care professionals and organisations.
- NASGP helps change the way general practitioners are treated in general practice.
- NICE is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health.
- NPSA is a Special Health Authority created to co-ordinate the efforts of all those involved in healthcare, and more importantly to learn from, patient safety incidents occurring in the NHS.
- This is the main representative organisation of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England.
- This is the main representative organisation of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England.
- The Confederation brings together the organisations that make up the modern NHS across the UK.
- If you have been referred to a hospital or clinic through the NHS e-Referral Service, booking your appointment online is easy, safe and secure.
- Useful website for NHS library and knowledge services (England) and the Health Education England Library and Knowledge Services Leads
- Medical benevolent charity
- A video showing who the charity helps.
- Part of a series, the video explains how they help their beneficiaries
- Gives support to medical practitioners and/or their dependants who find themselves in financial hardship.
- A Guide To Workplace Hazards & Occupational Safety
- An introduction to cyber security and data protection from the University of York.
- On-line resource and communications tool for GPs.
- Life Insurance Calculator
- MPS helps doctors with the legal problems that arise from their clinical practice.
- Mesothelioma Grief Counselling
- Web portal of information on accreditation for the new DES.
- This is a useful website which gives QOF data and prevalence for each practice in the UK
- Support for Blind Employees in the workplace
- https://www.riftrefunds.co.uk/tax-refunds/uk-tax-refund-advice/tax-debt-and-mental-health/
- An video giving an introduction to the Cameron Fund
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mslxAbi90Mo
- In this guide, we’ll discuss all aspects of the male menopause. From spotting the early signs, to finding out what you can do to alleviate the symptoms, find out what you can do to tackle the challenges of the andropause.