On Monday (23/06), the below resolution passed in full at 2025 Annual Representative Meeting in Liverpool. 

Motion by SOUTH WEST REGIONAL COUNCIL: That this meeting believes that 
doctors should not have to use personal mobile phones for work, a practice that 
threatens privacy, professional boundaries, and wellbeing. This meeting calls on 
the BMA to:-

i) demand employer-funded mobile phones be made available to all medical 
staff for all their NHS work and/or university work;

ii) oppose any expectation that doctors use personal phones for professional 
communication;

iii) introduce robust safeguards to protect medical staff from inappropriate 
contact, harassment, and abuse, including sexual harassment;

iv) advocate for clear boundaries between work and personal communications 
to reduce burnout and promote doctors’ wellbeing.

Responding, Dr Latifa Patel, chair of the BMA’s representative body and workforce lead, said: “Many workplaces offer devices for professional communication, and the NHS should be no different.
 
“Doctors often work across the hospital site and in the community, including home visits, and need to be contactable. In recent years, we have seen an increasing reliance on doctors’ own personal mobile phones.
 
“Using a work device, like a mobile phone, can help to define boundaries between work and home life, and significantly reduce burnout - something we know many doctors experience, and which is undoubtedly contributing to them either reducing their hours or leaving the NHS altogether.
 
“We also know some doctors are impacted by inappropriate contact, such as abuse or sexual harassment, sometimes in the form of unwanted messages and communication outside of work. Removing the reliance on personal devices is an action employers can take to mitigate these risks.
 
“We invite the Government to work with us to see how these devices can be introduced in the NHS as part of efforts to improve doctor wellbeing.” 
 
ENDS"

Notes to editors

The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.