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 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 are teaming up with our Royal Colleges as part of a wider NHS anti-bullying alliance and are 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 which treats staff with compassion.

OUR CAMPAIGN FOR A MORE COMPASSIONATE NHS
Compassionate Culture in the news
DAUK teams with Doctors in distress to support ITU doctors this Blue Monday
Today is #bluemonday, and although for many it’s just a normal (annoying) start to the week, so many NHS staff are struggling day in day
DAUK’s Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden on BBC News: NHS doctor receives 20 to 30 abusive messages a day
Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, an intensive care registrar, says NHS staff are facing “devastating” abuse online and at protests. She thinks it’s driven by coronavirus sceptics
DAUK’s Dr Jenny Vaughan discusses restoring healing after healthcare harm
Dr Jenny Vaughan joined the Harmed Patient Alliance to deliver a webinar on 17 December 2020 exploring the issue of second harm in healthcare. Watch