A new report by the British Medical Association (BMA) is calling on the Government to introduce legislation that would establish a statutory duty of care for higher education institutions towards their students.
This call is something we at Olly’s Future wholeheartedly support. For the past five years, we’ve been delivering our Dr SAMS (Suicide Awareness in Medical Students) two-part training to medical schools and universities across England and Wales, with the generous support of the BMA.
We believe that all medical students should receive suicide prevention training as part of their core curriculum—empowering them to look after their own wellbeing, support their peers, and care for their future patients. Alongside this, we join the BMA in calling for a statutory duty of care to protect medical students—and indeed all students—which, shockingly, still does not exist.
“Medical students face high levels of mental health problems but stigma stops them getting help.”
— The British Medical Journal, April 2023
According to a Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF) study,
- 68% of medical students surveyed have experienced mental health pressure during their degree.
- 50% said they would have concerns about seeking support for mental illness as a medical student.
These figures show the urgent need for structural change to ensure students are properly supported, not left to struggle in silence.
Our Dr SAMS programme is currently being independently evaluated by UCL Medical School, with backing from The Fishmongers’ Company—helping us build a strong evidence base for the positive impact of suicide prevention training in medical education.
To learn more about our Dr SAMS training and how your institution can get involved, visit ollysfuture.org.uk/dr-sams-suicide-awareness-in-medical-students.
