Information and advice

Alongside the traditional financial support that the RMBF gives for the medical profession, we also provide specialist advice to help doctors and medical students.

Money/Debt Management Advice

One elderly doctor's widow in poor health had been subsisting on less than £60 per week. With help from one of our Money Advisers she was able to claim both Pension Credit and Disability Living Allowance. As a result her regular income increased by £102 per week - and she has received back dated payments amounting to £2,300.

A young doctor suffering from mental illness was unable to return to work for an extended period. He had no family support, as his parents had died. The Money Adviser helped to renegotiate his debts and stop aggressive action by a debt collecting agency.

These illustrate some of the ways our Money Advice can help - from helping beneficiaries receive the full State Benefits for which they are eligible to renegotiating debts - as well as help with budgeting.

Other specialist support

For those eligible for our financial support, such help is only a part of the support we can offer. We would like to assist those we help to become more independent, self sufficient and successful wherever possible - whether or not a return to employment is feasible. That is why we also offer specialist information and advice, where appropriate.

Managing demanding work and family commitments is a challenge for many doctors, as evidenced by above average suicide and divorce rates. That's why we have developed Support4Doctors

This will route you through to a wide range of sources of information, advice and support, under the following headings:

• Work and Career
• Money and Finance
• Health and Well being
• Family and Home

It also provides an increasing range of articles and interviews on:

• The Medical Career Path
• General Practice
• Thinking of Changing Career
• Looking after Yourself

We hope Support4Doctors will help you find what you are looking for. If not, please let us know. We'll see if we can locate a suitable source of information, advice and support and add this to the website.

Money4MedStudents has practical, unbiased informationand advice on managing your money, how to borrow sensibly and where to find other sources of funding.

Befriending

For those who are isolated by reason of age or illness we provide a telephone befriending scheme and may be able to arrange a befriender if you or someone you know would find this helpful.

For further information, please contact Kate Sheppard, our Volunteer Support and Development Coordinator by email or on 0203 255 3003