Organisations that can help

Doctor specific 

  • DocHealth is a new confidential, not for profit service giving doctors an opportunity to explore difficulties, both professional and personal, with senior clinicians. This pilot service is delivered by Consultant Medical Psychotherapists based at BMA House in London.

  • Practitioner Health programme (London based – difficult to access unless you are a doctor in training if outside London). Free, confidential service for doctors & dentists with mental/ physical health conditions or addiction problems, particularly if these are or might affect work. Call 0203 049 4505

  • BMA support pages – a counselling service 24/7. The BMA have recently set up a pilot programme offering 6 sessions of confidential support for doctors. London based at present but hopefully this could roll out nationwide

  • Support 4 doctors – a wide range of specialist advice & support for doctors with links to other organisations

  • The Couch via doctors.net – you need to register with them first – there is a forum where you can post sensitive issues and they have a list of volunteer doctors that are happy to help

  • Coaching & mentoring services at your local deanery. Aimed mainly at doctors in training, but more recently expanded to those more experienced doctors in many locations. You are usually entitled to 6 free sessions

  • Occupational health at your local hospital or deanery. I last heard that funding was withdrawn for OH for GPs unless the GMC were involved. (Do let me know if you believe this not to be the case)

  • Support, advice and mentoring schemes through your academic college ie royal college of psychiatrists, Obstetrics & gynaecology, anaesthetists, surgeons

General help

  • IAPTS – Improving Access to Psychological Therapies – a national self-referral programme or accessed via your GP

  • Maytree – Maytree is a registered charity supporting people in suicidal crisis in a non-medical setting. Maytree offers short-term accommodation with befriending in a confidential, supportive and non-medical environment.” National service, with accommodation based in London.  Tel: 020 7263 7070

  • Elefriends a MIND Charity-founded supportive online community, a “safe place to listen, share and be heard.”

Specific Services for specific problems

  • Addiction 

    • British Doctors and Dentists Group – a service for recovering alcoholic and drug dependent doctors, dentists and students.Tel: 07825 107 970. Email: bddg@btinternet.com

    • Sick Doctors Trust – provides early intervention and treatment for doctors suffering from addiction to alcohol or other drugs.  Tel: 0370 444 5163 (24hrs)

  • Financial support 

    • BMA Charities – a group of charities established to help all doctors and their families in times of need.

    • The Cameron Fund – “a charity for doctors who are, or have been, general practitioners, and for their dependants. It offers help in times of poverty, hardship or distress”

    • Money for Medical Students – a website providing practical, unbiased information and advice to help medical students qualify with a manageable level of student debt.

    •  Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF) – “RMBF can consider financial assistance to doctors, medical students and their families who are facing financial crisis.” Tel: 020 8540 9194

    •  Royal Medical Foundation – a medical benevolent charity which assists UK medical practitioners and their dependants who find themselves in financial hardship. Tel: 01372 821 011

  • Mental Health

    • Anxiety UK – UK charity aiming to promote the relief and rehabilitation of people suffering with anxiety disorders through information and provision of self-help services.  Tel: 0844 4775 774

    • Beat – UK charity for people with eating disorders and their families.  Tel: 0845 634 1414

    • BipolarUK – “charity dedicated to supporting individuals with the much misunderstood and devastating condition of bipolar, their families and carers.”  Tel: 0333 323 3880

    • CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15-35.

    • Depression Alliance – A UK charity for people affected by depression, offering help to people with depression, run by sufferers themselves.  It has a network of self-help groups.Tel: 020 7633 0557

    • Mental Health Foundation – Provides information and support for anyone with mental health problems or learning disabilities.

    • MIND – a mental health charity in England and Wales,working to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress.

    • No Panic – A voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and OCD. Offers a course to help overcome your phobia/OCD.

    • OCD Action – support for people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Includes information on treatment and online resources.

    • OCD UK – a charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments.

    • PAPYRUS – young suicide prevention society.

    • Rethink Mental Illness – support and advice for people living with mental illness.

    • Sane – Charity offering support and carrying out research into mental illness.

    • YoungMinds – Information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals.

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