The Cameron Fund

The Cameron Fund is the GPs’ own charity, the only medical charity which solely supports General Practitioners and their dependant family members.  We provide support to GPs and their families in times of financial need, whether through ill-health, disability, bereavement, relationship breakdown or loss of employment. We help those who are already suffering from financial hardship and those who are facing it.

The Fund was formed in 1970, when Sir James Cameron proposed that some unused Department of Health funds be re-allocated to provide support to those colleagues who were unable to work and facing poverty. The 1970 Conference of LMCs resolved that a charitable trust be set up to provide “the relief of poverty, sickness or distress” for GPs, retired GPs and dependants of GPs. Historically most applicants were retired GPs, or their widows, but now the majority of our applicants are working age GPs and GP Trainees experiencing a range of difficult life situations.

The Fund has 20 Trustees who are all GPs or retired GPs. They are elected regionally by our members.

The Fund provides assistance by:

• Giving grants towards monthly living expenses, the replacement of essential items, professional subscriptions, courses and other costs relating to a return to work

• Offering Money Advice to help maximise income, reduce expenditure, access all available State Benefits and renegotiate debts

• Providing loans to assist with exam fees, essential repairs and adaptations.

In some cases, we can also assist with career coaching or arranging appointments with a pensions adviser to help when applying for NHS pensions.

We can help:

• Working and retired doctors who have been employed in the NHS as a GP for a substantial period of their careers and a minimum of 12 months

• ST3 GP Registrars  with interest-free loans for exam fees

• Dependants of GPs or former GPs who are under 18 or who can demonstrate dependence on a GP

To be eligible for support, applicants must be in financial hardship, i.e. unable to cover essential monthly expenditure and with minimal savings.

Beneficiary story

I cannot tell you my relief in receiving your e-mail and in being awarded your continued help and a grant. My income uncertainty has had a significant impact on my health recently and has prevented me from working through many difficult issues. Thank you also for your contact for pension advice which is one of the next issues for me to tackle. I will keep you informed of my progress in resolving these pension issues and my pension application. I do not know how I would have managed through this extremely testing time without your support and would like to thank you all for enabling me to keep my family afloat.

Diana is a recent beneficiary of the Cameron Fund. She had been experiencing ill health and low mood for some time before contacting us. This had resulted in her leaving a salaried GP role and unable to continue with locum work. Divorced, with three children, Diana was also struggling to cover household bills as her ex-husband was not making maintenance payments and this had led to a legal dispute.

The Fund provided support in the form of a monthly grant for essential expenditure, household and car repairs. We referred Diana to our Money Advisor who was able to give advice on debt management. This gave Diana some stability while she pursued an application for ill-health retirement from her GP role and the peace of mind necessary to undertake some part-time health related work.

The Fund also referred Diana to a pensions advisor, who provided assistance with backdated service calculations and self-tiered assessments. Diana’s GP retirement application was successful and she is now able to focus on re-building her financial independence.

Names have been changed for confidentially purposes. 

For more information or to seek assistance, please contact the Cameron Fund at info@cameronfund.org.uk or on 020 7388 0796 or visit our website at www.cameronfund.org.uk