NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day (NHSDAAD) takes place today (Wednesday 10 December) with a wave of activity across the country.
DAUK and the Medical Women’s Federation (MWF) have joined together to launch NHSDAAD.
The day highlights the urgent need to recognise and respond to domestic abuse affecting NHS staff. It also recognises the unique barriers they can face seeking help.
Black Female Doctors UK is the latest organisation to give its support to NHS DAAD.
NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day supporters
It joins NHS Practitioner Health, Doctors in Distress, Surviving in Scrubs, BRIGHT (Bristol Research on the Intersection of Gender, Health, and Trauma), IRISi Intervention, Cameron Fund, Cavell, the Healthcare Leadership Academy, the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, and the Royal College of Physicians.
Staff and organisations – including the BMA – have been posting on social media using the hashtag #NHSDAAD.
Journalist Adele Waters has written a powerful must-read article in the BMJ on domestic abuse in NHS workers.
The article includes the real-life stories of NHS workers who have experienced abusive relationships. It also highlights the research and work being done on the issue.
Adele posted on social media to thank ‘all the women who shared your important stories’.
NHSDAAD podcast
Elsewhere, organisers of NHSDAAD have launched a podcast to discuss the domestic abuse among NHS staff.
Dr Sarah Jacques, DAUK GP co-lead, MWF campaigns co-lead, and an organiser of NHSDAAD, hosts episode one.
Dr Jacques welcomes Dr Becky Cox, co-founder of campaign organisation Surviving in Scrubs, to discuss domestic abuse among healthcare professionals and why NHS employers need to recognise the role they can play in protecting their staff.
Episode two is hosted Dr Ellen Welch, DAUK co-chair, MWF campaigns co-lead and an organiser of NHSDAAD, and by Dr Seema Haider, a GP, writer, and advocate for gender equity and the prevention of violence against women and girls within the NHS.
The explores subtle abuse, particularly in relationships involving professional women.
Psychotherapist Dr Rosemary Parkinson shares insights from her research, highlighting the psychological impact of subtle abuse and the importance of recognising and naming it abuse.
More episodes of the podcast are coming soon so please follow and share.
Get involved
NHS staff and patients can get involved in NHSDAAD by wearing white ribbons, the symbol of the movement to end men’s violence against women and girls. They can also post on social media using the hashtag #NHSDAAD.
Resources are available on the NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day page on the DAUK website.
The organisers of NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day and DAUK committee members are all volunteers. They campaign on the issues facing doctors in their own time. Please support their work by joining DAUK or donating to our GoFundMe.
