About Us

The Cameron Fund is the GPs' own charity.
It is the only medical benevolent fund that
solely supports general practitioners and their dependents. We provide support to GPs and their families in times of financial need, whether through ill-health, disability, death or loss of employment. We help those who are already suffering from financial hardship and those
who are facing it.

Introduction 

WATCH HERE to find out more...

Applying for Help

Applications are welcome from, or on behalf
of, present or former GPs, their families, and dependents.

We also welcome referrals from Local Medical Committees and other organisations or individuals who may know of someone who might benefit from support from us.


Who we help 

WATCH HERE to find out more...

Latest News

How's That?

September 2021
It was fantastic to hear from Dr Deepika Yadav following a Charity Cricket Tournament held by doctors in the Coventry & Warwickshire area.  This 'friendly' was to help with team building and gave families the chance to have a fun day. Both teams, GP Warriors and Consultant Connect, and their families raised funds - with the children selling cakes and snacks. 

As Dr Yadav explained: "The winner got to pick their charity so it goes without saying that GP Warriors chose the Cameron Fund." 

The winning score - £365 to the Fund!

Welcome to our new Trustees

August 2021
We're sad to have to say goodbye to Trustees Dr Iain Kennedy, Dr Denise Glover, Dr Helena Amey and Dr Simon Lockett.

Following the Fund's 50th AGM held on 6 August we'd like to give a warm welcome to four new Trustees. 

Dr Durai Raj Jawahar has been elected as one of two Trustees representing Salop, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Leicestershire, Hereford & Worcester, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. He has been a Trustee in the past (2002-2015). Durai Raj has been a GP for the past 35 years and lead partner at the Manor Park Medical Practice in Leicester since 1986.  The practice achieved local Beacon status for services to the population by providing psychiatrist, counselling, orthopaedic, physiotherapy and internal medicine.  NAPC Member, Treasurer and NED; he was a GP Commissioner for five years and also LMC Treasurer and Vice Chair.  He is currently a member of North-West HNN GP group, co-chair of Leicester City's 10 Primary Care Networks and Clinical Director of Millennium PCN and a local primary care home. He is passionate about the benefits of AI in primary care.

Dr Sarah Rann has recently been elected as one of two Trustees representing Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Sarah trained in London and undertook GP training at the Royal Free hospital. She was a GP in Cambridgeshire for many years, as well as working for NHS England in Professional Standards. Before coming to Cambridge she lived and worked in Wales and Australia supporting people with bleeding disorders. As well as General Practice she spent much time in education as a GP tutor trainer appraiser and appraisal lead and professional standards for NHS England.  She leads a coaching network for Primary Care - Akeso and is a trustee for a local village Charity. Family, friends and LBD (little black dog) happily take up much of her time. 

Dr Edward Crawford has been elected as one of two representatives for Scotland. Having graduated from Glasgow University in 1995 he has been a GP Partner since 2001 and continues to work as a full-time GP with interests in care of the elderly, renal and pain.  Edward is currently a GP Advisor to the Scottish Ombudsman. He has been part of the Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team for the past 23 years.

Dr Peter Holden has been elected as one of two Trustees who represent Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Derbyshire. Peter is Senior Partner at Ashover & Matlock Practice, with interests in urgent and unscheduled care, kidney disease, Air Ambulance and Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine.  Peter is currently a Member of the Emergency Preparedness Resilience & Response Clinical Reference Group, DH/NHSE. He is also a Council Member of the British Medical Association and is the BMA General Practitioners Committee Advisor on  Practice Finance, Practice Premises, Rural Practice, Community Hospitals Urgent Emergency & Unscheduled Care,  Business Continuity Management & Emergency Preparedness.

Newsletter: Summer 2021

August 2021

To find out more about the recent work of the Fund click here

Did you miss us at Conference this year?

May 2021

Unfortunately, the Cameron Fund was unable to hold its AGM at the UK LMC Conference this year.

Normally, this is an opportunity to tell you about the work of the Fund during the previous year, thank LMCs and individual GPs for your valuable support.

We were unable to catch up with you at our stand. Also, the LMC Dinner would be a much-valued opportunity to fundraise with a collection on the night.

If you attended (in a virtual capacity) on 12 & 13 May, you may have viewed the Fund's 10 minute slot on the agenda. If not here it is: LMC Conference 2021 presentation

We appreciate all the support we receive from our colleagues, especially in these extraordinary times.

Our Money Management Tips for GPs

As well as offering grants and loans to those who find themselves in financial crisis, one of the objects of the Cameron Fund is the prevention of hardship.

Talking to colleagues from other medical charities and other GP support organisations and committees, we shared the idea of offering some guidance for newly-qualified GPs when they start out. Obviously, they have already been working as a doctor, but here at the Fund we are only too aware of some of the money problems that affect the GPs who approach us for help. 

10 Top Tips for Financial Wellbeing has been written with our Money Advisor, Jeff Brown of  Adviceworks. Over the years he has spoken to many of our GP applicants (and their families), offering them really valuable support and guidance.  This is not financial advice, but money management.  

Newsletter Autumn Winter 2020/21

Unfortunately, last year we did not get to celebrate the Fund's 50th Anniversary as intended but here's an update about our recent work in our Newsletter for Autumn Winter 2020/21

We welcome two new Trustees

Following the Fund's AGM, held on 6 August, two new Trustees have been elected. Dr George Hobbs is the new joint representative for Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Derbyshire, replacing Dr David Wrigley.  Dr Arnie McDowell is the new representative for Northern Ireland, replacing Dr Eugene Deeny. Here is a short profile from them both:

"I qualified in Belfast in 1982 and completed GP training in 1989 (including a brief detour into hospital medicine, obtaining MRCP in 1986). I took over a single-handed practice in Newry, Co Down in 1991, which had become a 3 GP practice by the time I retired from partnership in 2018. From 2015-18 I was the inaugural Chair of the Newry & District Federation of Family Practices, and since 2018 I have been Chair of the Southern Federation Support Unit. I was Secretary of the Southern LMC from 2006-2015 and its Chair 2015-18. In 2015 I succeeded Dr Eugene Deeny as Treasurer of NIGPC and Chair of NIGPDF. I was currently enjoying my second GP locum career, when I became sidetracked into being GP clinical lead for my local Covid Centre".
Dr Arnie McDowell 

"I qualified from Edinburgh in 1990 and became a partner at Ash Trees in 1994, so have just celebrated 26 years in post. For most of those years I have been the partner responsible for teaching and training medical students and, more recently, FY2 doctors. In 2012 I became the finance lead and since 2014 I have been managing partner. In those roles I have both had responsibility for a large budget and have supported colleagues through difficult times".
Dr George Hobbs

It's business as usual...


Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic we have had to close the Fund's office at BMA House. However, we continue to work remotely to provide support to our existing beneficiaries, and are here for any GP (and their dependent family) who find themselves in financial crisis during this extremely difficult time.

Whether you are a ST1, ST2 or GP Registrar on a recognised GP Training Scheme; work as a salaried or locum GP; are a GP Partner or are now retired - if you are experiencing hardship due to a reduced income and are struggling with debts, please get in touch.

For further information, or to apply for assistance, please email us on: info@cameronfund.org.uk

Please do not use the post at this time. If you have posted an application to us in the last couple of weeks, please contact us to make sure we have received it.

If you are a Member, the BMA can offer you a wide range of support, including their Wellbeing Services on 0330123 1245 (24 hours a day, seven days a week), or email wellbeingsupport@bma.org.uk

Any doctor struggling with their mental health can contact NHS Practitioner Health call 0300 0303 300 or email prac.health@nhs.net

Fund sees large increase in enquiries

Dr Gary Calver told Pulse ‘The people that we’re looking at are on either zero hours contracts or they’re partly salaried and then do locums to top it up. It’s particularly the locum and ad hoc work that’s dried up.’

To read Costanza Pierce's article published in Pulse Click here

Sir James Cameron Remembered

Sir James' grandson, Alastair has written an article in St Andrews in Focus

Fund welcomes Jill Rowlinson

Jill has recently joined the Fund as our Chief Executive.

She is a Chartered Secretary, who has previously worked as a governance professional and manager in the private and not for profit sector. Most recently she has worked in local government and was previously Town Clerk for Ware Town Council in Hertfordshire. 

In her spare time, Jill plays in brass bands and is also a Trustee and voluntary Company Secretary for a local hospice.

NASGP to highlight Fund's blog

Richard Fieldhouse, Chair of the National Association of Sessions GPs, will be highlighting the work of the Fund in a blog. Read it here