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‘Parents in Surgery’ report highlights challenges of juggling family and career
The Royal College of Surgeons of England has published a new report documenting issues related to parenthood that affect surgeons, and recommending changes in culture and practice. ‘Parents in Surgery’ is a flagship initiative established by the College in response to recommendations made by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC. The report features testimonials from surgeons who have experienced discrimination, were inadequately supported or felt judged, for working less than full time, being pregnant or being a parent. Some surgical trainees fear discrimination over job prospects if they discuss flexible working plans or take parental leave. Others defer starting a family, which could impact on their ability to have a family later, due to fertility issues.
The traditional surgical training route involves a minimum of 10 years training. For three years, trainees can be in ‘rotations’, moving every 6 months to a new city or area. Those who are parents face the challenge of caring for young children, while moving frequently and fulfilling rota duties. The Parents in Surgery report was developed through one-to-one interviews, focus groups, surveys, engagement with stakeholders and a literature search. Key research findings include that:
l Planning a family or becoming parents typically coincides with the last years of surgical training. Time away from training and fixed commitments outside work can affect training opportunities and career progression.
l Increased pressure on surgical trainees linked to workforce gaps and increasing service demands are putting strain on individuals, affecting retention in the profession.
l Some US studies have found that female surgeons have first pregnancies later in life, fewer children, and report more
issues with infertility. This needs further investigation in the UK.
l There is evidence to suggest that those in male dominated specialties feel pressure to return to full-time work where other specialties may offer more flexibility. This is likely to affect the diversity we see in those specialties, and works against achieving gender balance in some specialties.
l Balancing flexibility with insufficient workforce numbers is an ongoing challenge, especially for rota planning. Managing childcare with short notice rota information is a particular difficulty.
Miss Fiona Myint, vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, commented on the findings: “Wanting to be, struggling to be and becoming a parent, are part of everyday living. But while roles and responsibilities in society have changed, the surgical model has not kept up. Our research uncovered reports of punishing rotas, negative perceptions of less than full time working and unsupportive training models. Colleagues who train or work less than full time are no less passionate about their career. They are just as committed to their patients, and they deserve our support. “As leaders of the surgical profession, we have a pastoral duty towards surgeons who
are parents or carers, and a responsibility to understand and support their wellbeing. If we do not support young surgeons as they start their families, they will leave our profession. Neither patients nor the NHS can afford for that to happen.”
RCS England has committed to changing the culture of surgery to better support working parents who are following a career in surgery. In response to the report’s findings, the College will: l Commission an independent review and impact study of the barriers to becoming a parent in surgery – to provide further insight and data.
l Develop a workforce strategy to understand the challenges faced at different points in the surgical career and by different groups.
l Work with the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the British Medical Association, NHS Employers and other external partners to provide and update job planning guidance.
l Develop a toolkit for clinical managers and those overseeing training, to signpost resources to support their staff.
The Parents in Surgery report is available to download at:
https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/ about-the-rcs/about-our-mission/diversity/ parents-in-surgery/
New targeted lung cancer screening programme
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has given a positive recommendation for the introduction of the country’s first targeted national cancer screening programme.
At its first meeting following the approval of its expanded remit, the committee recommended that the four UK nations should move towards implementing a
NOVEMBER 2022
targeted national lung cancer screening programme, integrated with smoking cessation services, for people at high risk. Targeted lung cancer screening would aim to find people with the disease early when they may not have any symptoms. People are more likely to be cured of lung cancer if the disease is found early before it has spread to other parts of the body.
A national programme would have the potential to save thousands of lives. Targeted screening aims to identify people with a higher risk of a condition beyond demographics such as age or sex. The committee recommended that targeted screening should be offered to the high risk group of people aged 55 to 74 years with a history of smoking.
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM l 9
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