Comment EDITOR’S COMMENTwith LOUISE FRAMPTON THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL Editor


Louise Frampton louiseframpton@stepcomms.com


Technical Editor Kate Woodhead


Journal Administration Katy Cockle katycockle@stepcomms.com


Design Steven Dillon


Sales Executive


Steve Elliman stephenelliman@stepcomms.com


Business Manager James Scrivens jamesscrivens@stepcomms.com


Publisher Geoff King geoffking@stepcomms.com


Publishing Director Trevor Moon trevormoon@stepcomms.com


STEP COMMUNICATIONS ISSN No. 1478-5641


© Step Communications Ltd, 2025 Single copy: £19.00 per issue. Annual journal subscription: UK £114.00 Overseas: £150.00


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International Women’s Day: accelerating action in healthcare


With International Women’s Day high on the agenda, this month, The Clinical Services Journal addresses some of the inequalities, discrimination and sexual violence that persist within the healthcare sphere. At the same time, International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the huge contribution of women in driving innovation, their leadership, compassion and their insight. Despite some groundbreaking discoveries made by women being credited to men over the


years (Esther Lederberg, Rosalind Franklin and Nettie Stevens, to name a few), the history books are full of the achievements of impressive women who have made their mark on medicine. Florence Nightingale’s far-sighted ideas and reforms have influenced the very nature of modern healthcare – establishing the first professional training school for nurses and reducing mortality rates through her relentless efforts to improve hygiene and sanitation. Jamaican-born Mary Seacole’s reputation after the Crimean War rivalled Florence Nightingale’s and she was awarded several medals for her bravery from Britain, Turkey and France. There are many more to celebrate: Marie Curie’s research led the way to the development


of the x-ray, Rosalind Franklin’s work unlocked the secrets of DNA, Francoise Barré-Sinoussi discovered HIV as the cause of the immunodeficiency disease, AIDS, and Nettie Stevens made significant contributions to the study of genetics, through her groundbreaking discovery of X and Y chromosomes. In fact, there are too many incredible women to mention in this small column... In this edition, we shine a light on the important contribution of women today, in leading


innovation in the HealthTech sector. Some top female HealthTech leaders share their views on why diversity matters, their leadership vision, and how we can encourage the next generation. Whether it is women working in healthcare or women on the receiving end of healthcare, inequality and sexism continue. The World Health Organization points out that “disparities persist in research and treatment for conditions unique to women, opportunities in STEM-related fields, and the recognition of women’s contributions in health-related professions and decision-making.” These gender-based gaps persist not only in healthcare access and treatment but also in pay. For instance, women in the European Union earn on average almost 12.7% less per hour than men. While women make up 78% of the health and care workforce, they hold only 25% of senior roles. (Source: WHO) In this issue, Kate Woodhead also looks at the problem of sexual misconduct in surgery. A staggering 63% of women have been the target of sexual harassment from colleagues and 30% of women have been sexually assaulted by a colleague. A study undertaken at the University of Exeter shows that there is a widespread lack of confidence in the adequacy of key regulatory bodies in handling the issues, which Kate describes as “a serious flaw when considering the changes in culture required to reduce incidents”. Turning the attention to patients, women also report experiencing ‘medical misogyny’. A report


by the Women and Equalities Committee, focusing on women’s reproductive health conditions, found that accessing diagnosis and treatment can take years, leaving women and girls to endure pain and discomfort that interferes with every aspect of their daily lives – including their education, careers, relationships and fertility – while their conditions worsen. So why does International Women’s Day matter? At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 (roughly five generations from now) to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum. The campaign slogan for International Women’s Day, this year, calls on us to ‘Accelerate Action’. Ultimately, women make up 77% of the NHS workforce and they cannot wait for change. For more information, visit: www.internationalwomensday.com


louiseframpton@stepcomms.com Get in touch and give us your views, email me:


March 2025 I www.clinicalservicesjournal.com 5


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