BMA Family Friendly Fund

The BMA Family friendly fund provides care arrangements to allow committee and board members to participate fully in BMA activities.

Crèche facilities are not automatically provided at all BMA events, but every effort will be made to provide care if notice is given.

When you can apply

You can request care provision if you are:

• attending a meeting for which committee members can claim honoraria
• attending a branch of practice conference
• attending the BMA annual representative meeting.

Requests for care falling outside of these criteria may be considered on an individual basis. Where the circumstances are exceptional, they may be referred to the Treasurer for approval.

It is members’ responsibility to arrange a care provider for any remote meetings (i.e. virtual meetings held on Microsoft Teams). The BMA will reimburse the costs of the care provider during a remote meeting but will not make any recommendations or arrangements for a provider.

What we can provide

We offer two kinds of support:

1. reimburse the costs of your preferred care provider or equivalent alternative (if your normal provider is unavailable); or
2. provide basic care facilities and carers at the location of the event, within the limits set by the policy.

Where care is provided by the BMA at an external site, it may be available up to an hour before the event starts; during the event itself and up to an hour after it ends. This also includes ARM.

Food provision

• Age-appropriate healthy snacks and beverages mid-morning and mid-afternoon will be provided.
• Where the BMA is providing care during lunchtime, an appropriate healthy snack or lunch will be provided, if requested in advance.

What we cannot provide

• You are responsible for any other provisions (ie formula milk, baby food, medicines, nappies, spare clothing, a familiar toy or dummy).
• You are responsible for administering any medication.
• If your childminder or carer accompanies your child or dependent at an eligible event, the BMA will not reimburse their travel or accommodation expenses, nor any other costs they may incur. Nor will the BMA be responsible for the cost of any child or dependent’s travel, accommodation, or any other expenses and costs associated with attending an eligible event.
• The BMA is not able to reimburse payments made to relatives who may provide care, nor to those who would otherwise have provided care without charge.
• The BMA shall not be liable for any aspect of service performance of the care providers we have sourced for members attending BMA conferences or meetings. Furthermore, in compliance with GDPR, the BMA shall not be liable for the use of personal data provided by members to external care providers of facilities.

How to apply

1. Make a request in writing to the relevant secretariat or BMA event organiser. The request must be made at least 4 weeks before the start of the event.
2. Upon receipt, the secretariat will give you the care provider’s contact details. You are then required to liaise with the care provider directly to arrange the care. 
3. Complete and return the booking form that the provider will send you.

Please note that facilities may not be provided if a form is received later than four weeks before the event. If you are required to attend a meeting at less than four weeks' notice and require care arrangements, please speak to your secretariat as soon as possible. 

Contact us

If you have any questions about this policy, please email us.