Call the BMA wellbeing line on 0330 123 1245 for free, confidential telephone counselling or peer support from another doctor. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to all doctors and medical students in the UK, whether or not you belong to the BMA. Members can also have a structured course of up to six therapy sessions.
Key facts
- Who can use the line
- All doctors and medical students in the UK, regardless of BMA membership
- Cost
- Free
- How to contact
- 0330 123 1245, or the online portal on the BMA website
- Opening hours
- 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Members only
- Up to six structured therapy sessions with a counsellor, 50 minutes each
- Covers
- England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
What the BMA wellbeing line offers
One phone number leads to two kinds of help.
- Telephone counselling. A conversation with a counsellor about whatever is weighing on you: stress, grief, a breakdown in a relationship, a hard shift, a mistake you cannot stop replaying.
- Peer support. A confidential talk with another doctor. After you call or register through the online portal, you receive the details of a doctor in the peer support team. You then text the doctor to agree a time to speak.
BMA members can go further and book a structured course of therapy: up to six sessions of 50 minutes each with a counsellor. Non-members keep full access to the 24/7 counselling and peer support.
Other BMA wellbeing services
- Doctor support service. Confidential emotional support for doctors going through fitness to practise procedures with the GMC. Read our guide to investigations and fitness to practise alongside the BMA's help.
- UK wellbeing support directory. A list of local and national services, including the health and wellbeing support offered by postgraduate education providers during training.
- Sources of support page. A long BMA list of specialist organisations by topic: addiction, bereavement, disability, equality, finance, legal help, royal college services and speaking up.
Confidential, not anonymous
The service is confidential. You give identifying details such as your name and date of birth when you register, so the team can support you safely. The BMA does not describe the line as anonymous. If anonymity matters most to you, the online forum run by the Doctors' Support Network lets members talk without giving their name to other users.
When the BMA line is a good first call
The line suits any doctor who needs to talk to someone now, at any hour, without a referral. Say an FY2 finishes a night shift after a patient death and cannot sleep. At 4am there is no GP surgery open, and a call to 0330 123 1245 connects the doctor to a counsellor straight away. A consultant facing a complaint might prefer peer support, arranged by text with a fellow doctor at a time to suit both.
The line offers counselling and peer support. The BMA does not present the line as a treatment or emergency service, so you will not get a diagnosis, a prescription or crisis care there. Contract disputes and rota problems go to BMA employment advisers, a separate service for members. For ongoing assessment and treatment of a mental health or addiction problem, NHS staff can self-refer to NHS Practitioner Health in England or the Workforce Specialist Service in Scotland. In Wales, Canopi serves NHS and social care staff. Canopi paused new therapy referrals from 21 September 2026, and self-referrals and doctor advisor appointments continue.
Other support for doctors
- Psychiatrists' Support Service for psychiatrists at every career stage.
- Doctors in Distress for free online peer groups for healthcare workers.
- The Balint Society for reflective case groups.
- GLADD for LGBTQ+ doctors, dentists and students.
- Help Me I'm a Doctor for financial help from medical charities.
Our doctors hub brings together guides on burnout, coping after an error and fear of seeking help.
If you are in crisis
Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger. In England, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. Samaritans answer free on 116 123, 24 hours a day. The urgent support page lists numbers for each UK nation.
Common questions
What is the BMA wellbeing support number?
The number is 0330 123 1245. The line is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Do I need to be a BMA member to use the wellbeing line?
No. Counselling and peer support on the 24/7 line are open to all doctors and medical students in the UK. Only the structured course of up to six therapy sessions is for members.
Can medical students call the BMA wellbeing line?
Yes. The BMA lists medical students alongside doctors for both counselling and peer support.
Is BMA counselling anonymous?
No. The service is confidential, but you give details such as your name and date of birth when you register.
Does the BMA help doctors facing a GMC investigation?
Yes. The BMA doctor support service offers confidential emotional support to doctors going through fitness to practise procedures.