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LETTERS: Helen Fernandes Change in attitude is required BMJ 2008; 336: 848-c [Full text]

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The Woman Question:NHS and Profession should lead a Change in Attitude

E Jane Flint   (21 April 2008)

The Woman Question:NHS and Profession should lead a Change in Attitude 21 April 2008
E Jane Flint, British Cardiovascular Society Council for Women in UK Cardiology Consultant Cardiologist Dudley Group of Hospitals Send response to journal: Re: The Woman Question:NHS and Profession should lead a Change in Attitude	The unjustified publicity following the unsubstantiated JRSM evidence of patient numbers seen by women Consultants (I recall my early consultant clinics seeing up to 75 patients with whatever help I could muster!) and the subsequent BMJ debate on the feminisation of the medical workforce have stimulated an interesting range of responses. These vary from the thankfully still determined stance of a promising young woman doctor rightfully aiming for both a fulfilling career and family life to an amazingly anachronistic view from a doctor - also young! - who needs life- counselling! McKinstry most importantly misses the opportunity and indeed responsibility to emphasize that the NHS and profession should lead society in change of attitude towards shared responsibility for family care as a partnership duty. Dacre quite rightly emphasizes the response of flexibility for all, and the collaborative approach with which women benefit leadership style. I have recently presented our progress with Women in UK Cardiology to the Cardiovascular Women's Global Network at the American College of Cardiology in Chicago 31st March. Half of our new Consultant appointments in the 2006 RCP Census were women that year. Our overall female trainee rate has not exceeded 20% but 9/22 HSTCs have reached or exceeded a current 25% goal at some point. As a specialty with a traditionally low female Consultant rate (now 9%) we are on the move! I was priveleged to hear Alice Eagly talk about her book 'Through the Labyrinth'(1) (she kindly autographed my copy) presenting a significant evidence base on the "truth about how women become leaders" as her challenge to the misleading metaphor of the 'glass ceiling'. Colleagues, let us move on and be innovative in this year 12 months on from supposed implementation of the Gender Equality Duty Act in the NHS. (1) Eagly, AH and Carli, LL (2007). Through the Labyrinth - the truth about how women become leaders. Harvard Business School Press Competing interests: None declared