Doctors for Doctors
An enhancement of the BMA Counselling Service giving doctors in distress or difficulty the choice of speaking in confidence to another doctor.
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BMA Counselling Service and Doctors for Doctors
For help, counselling and personal support just call 08459 200 169, and you will be given the choice of speaking to a counsellor or the details of a doctor-adviser who you can call directly.
The Counselling Service
The BMA Counselling Service is staffed by professional telephone counsellors, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. All counsellors are members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and are bound by strict codes of confidentiality and ethical practice.
The service is confidential, and when making contact you can chose to remain anonymous. It is available to you and members of your family who normally live with you, including children up to the age of 21 even if they are at university.
The counsellors are there to help you deal with a wide variety of issues including the pressures and stresses of work – and the impact of this on family life – relationship problems, concerns about children and other family members, and issues relating to mental health. The service can also help address alcohol or drug misuse, and provides information about other specialist resources available to you.
By seeking constructive and supportive help from the service, you may identify ways of addressing the root causes of the problem, develop strategies to reduce the impact of the consequences and rebuild self-confidence.
Ongoing counselling is available and you can arrange regular appointments. There is no restriction on the number of calls you can make and, having spoken to a counsellor, you can request to speak to that person again. It is more helpful to speak to the same counsellor each time, giving you continuity of care and providing you with more effective support and assistance.
Doctor for Doctors
Doctors for Doctors is an enhancement of the BMA Counselling Service giving doctors in distress or difficulty the choice of speaking in confidence to another doctor.
If you wish to speak to a doctor-adviser you will be given the name of a doctor to contact and details of their availability. The service is not an ‘emergency service’. In an emergency you should obtain appropriate help from either your GP or usual medical adviser.
The doctor-adviser works with you to gain insight into your problems, supporting and helping you to move on by adopting a holistic approach to your situation. A wide range of problems are dealt with such as drug and alcohol problems, bullying at work and mental health issues, as well as with doctors who have been referred to the General Medical Council (GMC) or the National Clinical Assessment Service.
Please note that doctor-advisers do not provide diagnoses or treatment although inevitably any interaction will have a therapeutic aspect.
Confidentiality and GMC issues
The Doctors for Doctors service is not able to provide an advocacy service or represent doctors at tribunals or GMC hearings, etc.
The Doctors for Doctors service is completely confidential and is not linked to any other external or internal agencies. Any data recorded is anonymised and used to focus resources appropriately, and for lobbying for improved services for doctors' health issues.
If a doctor-adviser learns that patients may be in danger, he or she has a duty a duty, as a doctor, to act to prevent harm. The doctor-adviser will try and encourage the doctor to change whatever presents a risk to the patient. Failure on the doctor’s part to give an undertaking to stop putting patients at risk will mean that the doctor-adviser will have to take advice on how to act, and this may be by contacting the GMC.
Disclaimer
Doctor-advisers who work with the Doctors for Doctors service have agreed to provide their services on a voluntary basis and are not employees or agents of the BMA. Accordingly, the BMA cannot be held responsible for any acts or omissions by any of those doctor-advisers. Although the Unit works to ensure that the contact details of doctor-advisers are kept up to date, it cannot accept any responsibility should a doctor-adviser not be available.
Contact information
BMA Counselling Service (24-hours a day, seven days a week) and Doctors for Doctors
Telephone: 08459 200 169 (calls charged at local rates)
Dr Mike Peters, Medical Director of the Doctors for Doctors service, is usually available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays to provide more information or to discuss issues with you. This would usually be by telephone, but doctors who are able to visit in person are welcome to do so by appointment.
For an appointment, please call 020 7383 6739, or email info.d4d@bma.org.uk or fax 020 7554 6739
Doctors for Doctors
British Medical Association
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9JP
www.bma.org.uk/doctorsfordoctors