Gerada Honored with 2021 MPL Association Humanitarian Award of Excellence
(Rockville, MD, May 12, 2021)—The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association has announced that Dame Clare Mary Louise Francis Gerada, Lady Wessely, DBE, FRCP, FRCGP, FRCPsych, has received the 2021 Humanitarian Award of Excellence. This award is presented to individuals or organizations that have undertaken outstanding efforts to meet the needs of affected people during times of crisis or to affect long-term change to improve the human condition.
A London-based general practitioner and past chair of the Council of the Royal College of General Practitioners between 2010 to 2013, Dr. Gerada is a fellow of both the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Physicians, and a member and honorary fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In March 2019, she was appointed co-chair of the forum to implement the National Health Service's long-term strategy.
Dr. Gerada has worked and written extensively in the areas of physician well-being, mental health, and substance misuse. Since 2020, Dr. Gerada has been chair of the nonprofit organization, Doctors in Distress, with the goal of zero suicides amongst doctors by 2025. The most urgent priority for Doctors in Distress is to create a network of facilitated therapeutic spaces where doctors can talk about the emotional impact of their work, gaining support from each other, in a safe, non-stigmatizing environment.
“Dr. Gerada’s work to reduce suicides among doctors and create safe space where physicians can seek support is extremely important for the healthcare community. She has been instrumental in relieving the suffering of those who care for others, efforts that have been particularly critical during the global pandemic when physicians have been pushed to their limits,” said Dr. James Q. Swift, chair of the Association Board of Directors and director and chair of OMSNIC.
“The Association is pleased to honor Dr. Gerada’s significant humanitarian work over the years and during the pandemic,” MPL Association President and CEO Brian Atchinson stated. “She serves as an inspiring example for the healthcare community around the world.”