Compassionate Culture

The NHS is Britain’s greatest treasure. Yet it still harbours a culture of hierarchy where bullying, harassment, and appalling training environments go unchallenged. We believe that bullying, and discouraging victims from speaking up, goes hand in hand with a blame culture.

Often, doctors are shamed into silence and don’t realise that other doctors are struggling just as much as they are. Morale is at an all-time low in the NHS, with rates of burnout and, sadly, even physician suicide on the rise. DAUK is teaming up with our Royal Colleges as part of a wider NHS anti-bullying alliance and is encouraging doctors to speak out.

After #NHSMeToo went viral, DAUK launched a subsequent campaign lobbying for a “Compassionate Culture.” After enabling doctors to speak up about instances of bullying and mistreatment, we are now asking doctors to share their positive experiences, where they have been treated with compassion.

Through our campaign, we hope to share and disseminate examples of exemplary practice to encourage a change in culture and a move towards a kinder NHS that treats staff with compassion.