What we've achieved

2010 - 2011

We are pleased to report another year of progress, in which we:

• Awarded, secured and/or saved over £900,000 for doctors and their dependants in need
• Achieved over 220,000 visits to our web based in formation and advice services; www.support4doctors.org, www.money4medstudents.org and www.rmbf.org
• Increased the number of volunteer Medical Liaison Officers from 50 to 65
• Awarded grants and loans of £712,591 and secured and saved £217,000 through Money Advice or working with other charities

Development Fund Projects

Progress on our three Development Fund projects are:

Doctors with complex needs

The RMBF commissioned the King’s and Maudley for a research study into ‘Obstacles to Returning to Work for Doctors with Complex Needs’. This research is now being reviewed and findings will be published shortly.

Sessional GPs

Following the research study which we commissioned from Durham University on ‘Support for Sessional GPs’ and our in-house study on ‘Self Directed Learning Groups for Sessional GPs’, we organised a national conference at the King’s Fund in April 2011.
The conference was Chaired by our President, Dame Deirdre Hine and was attended by 34 senior representatives from medical organisations throughout the UK, including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), the Departments of Health and representatives from all the Chief Medical Officers.

The conference report has now been published on our website and sets out a series of practical recommendations on taking forward the needs of sessional GPs.

The Royal College of General Practitioners has agreed to convene a group to take this work forward.

Medical Student Financial Hardship

The RMBF is aware that there is a small but important number  of medical students in the UK who are facing such financial hardship due to unexpected and difficult circumstances that there is a very real danger that they will be lost to the profession without our help. 

It is for this reason that we are seeking our Members agreement for the RMBF to take forward a limited pilot scheme of repayable loans to those who find themselves in unforeseen difficulty as a result of factors outside their control.

This new development therefore aims to support the future of the NHS by ensuring that these medical students do not fall by the wayside and instead will go on to qualify and serve the public for the future benefit of all. 

As a result of the successful progress on the Development Fund projects, the Board of Trustees have agreed that the RMBF will continue to make provision for a Development Fund to support continuing development over the next few years

Public benefit

The Trustees have referred to the criteria contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the aims and objectives of the charity and in planning future activities. In particular the Trustees have considered how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set, by ensuring that there are clear and identifiable benefits that relate to our charitable aims With the aim of preventing or relieving poverty and relieving need arising from age, ill health, disability and bereavement we provide:

• grants
• interest free loans
• specialist Money Advice to assist beneficiaries to secure State Benefits to which they are entitled, to renegotiate debts and to improve budgeting
• short, intensive back to work packages of support
• a fuel allowance for vulnerable beneficiaries during prolonged cold spells
• specialist equipment or adaptation to assist those suffering from ill health or disability

By helping doctors through their individual periods of need, so that they can return to medical practice where appropriate, a further and wider public benefit is provided. 

The Trustees also noted that if the charitable aims are extended to include the financial support of medical students, this will further increase the number of potential beneficiaries.

The Year Ahead

Our five key priorities for 2011-2012 are to:

• Award or help secure and/or save at least £750,000 for those living in financial hardship
• Achieve 200,000 visits to our web based information and services from at least 50,000 visitors
• Achieve a further 30% increase in Medical Liaison Officers from 66 to 80
• Present the findings from our three Development Fund Projects, and take forward any further action needed
• Raise awareness of the support the RMBF can provide, including through celebration of its 175^th anniversary

Thank you

 We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who give their time so generously to support our work:

• Our Area Visitors, who make a very important contribution by undertaking home visits to help assess the need of those who apply for financial support
• Our Guild Officers, who do so much to support our work by raising money at local events – and, of course, the Guild members and supporters who attend these events
• Our Medical Liaison Officers who raise awareness of the help we can provide and advise us of the issues currently facing doctors and their families
• Our Telebefrienders, who help those who are isolated due to
• age or illness

The contribution of each of our 275 volunteer officers is significant and much appreciated.

We would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all those members and supporters who have so kindly made donations to support our work and also to those who have remembered the Fund in their wills and whose generosity makes so much of our work possible.