As we enter a new year, we are cognisant that the ongoing and unrelenting challenge of COVID-19 remains at the forefront for most, if not all members.

Which is why we want to extend a New Year’s message of heartfelt thanks to all our members for the tireless work that they have continued to do during the pandemic. Many of our colleagues at MPS, including ourselves, are also healthcare professionals, and a number of them still work on the ‘front line’, so we truly understand the difficulties and challenges that you continue to face on a daily basis.

At the start of the pandemic – and in addition to the standard benefits of membership – we committed to supporting members by taking action to protect their wellbeing, help bolster the workforce and to protect members' financial positions. To date, we have supported members by:

Protecting their wellbeing

We understand the enormous and continued pressure you have faced during the pandemic, which is why we have extended our counselling service to all members who are experiencing any work-related stress, or stress that they feel could impact upon their practice. Our counselling service is provided through a third-party partner and is completely confidential.

Bolstering the workforce

As part of our support for government-led initiatives to increase doctor numbers, we have continued to provide free support to retired MPS members who wish to return to the frontline in Ireland, the UK, New Zealand and South Africa. We are now also offering free non-claims support for members who have volunteered for the vaccination programme.

Protecting their financial position

We recognise that a number of private practice members have experienced a significant drop in their income during the last year, and in response, we have introduced various options to help aid increased flexibility and make subscriptions as affordable as possible.

We have also been proactively engaging with members to share our expertise and guidance via a series of tailored webinars and podcasts, and via virtual conferences and events which have addressed key issues. These were very well received, with over a fifth of all members taking part in our webinars last year.

As we start the new year, we remain committed to supporting you in whatever way we can and to proactively providing you with the necessary support and guidance you might need to help you navigate through this challenging time.

Please do take care and stay safe, and once again, our sincere thanks for the essential work that you continue to do.

Best wishes

Prof Dame Jane Dacre

Mr Ian Eardley