Ginny Bowbrick
@GinnyAB
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Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Head of School of Surgery KSS, @RCSnews Elected Council Member, Education Advisor NHSE WTE 🏳️🌈she/her
Joined August 2010
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all” Oscar Wilde. Thank you to the @RCSnews for allowing me to dedicate my editorial in this month’s edition of the Bulletin to my brother. @iom3 @DrColinChurch
Our September #Bulletin is now available and is packed with articles to help you boost your mental and physical wellbeing. Covering everything from good nutrition to dealing with menopause at work, this is an issue you won't want to miss. Find out more:
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What I have learnt about the #NHS as a doctor of >33 years and Consultant of 18 years:.•#NHS will ask for more & more of you until you say no.•#NHS will replace you in a heartbeat and has no loyalty to you .•Know your worth. Supporting #juniordoctors strike #payrestoration.
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It’s time to talk about #ergonomics for surgeons. Stooping all day in theatre with heavy loupes has meant I now have 3 less Cx discs; C5 was removed yesterday. Please think about how you stand when operating with the table the right height & don’t make do. #MedTwitter #ACDF
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We either all have titles or non of us do but as the only woman in clinic today apparently I don’t deserve any title although my male colleagues do #untitling #ilooklikeasurgeon
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Trying to decide if I’ve over reacted to being upset reading a letter from a colleague I was cc.ed into. Every other (male) surgeon copied in had their title used but I did not. Is it overreacting to point it out? Should we accept it? Or is it #unconsciousbias or #discrimination?.
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Found my old name badges doing some clearing out. #MedTwitter . How I started. Where I am now.
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Came across this picture & it had me reflecting on the importance of recognising how many years of training it takes to reach the “level of a Day 1 Consultant” or GP when discussing pay & scope of practice. There is no alternative to these years for this knowledge. #MedTwitter
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Dear @gmcuk . I do not wish to pay an annual subscription fee which subsidises the regulation & registration of MAPs. If they are using our register then they should pay the same fees. Otherwise please can you create a separate register for them which they fully fund. Thank you.
“MAP issues are just a small social media issue” . Is it anymore? . “I don’t do social media” . You should try it . Regulation firmly in focus via @AoMRC . Time for a pause on planned expansion @NHSE_WTE ?. Scope, title, supervision…all needs review .
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33 years ago today I started as a house physician at Chase Farm Hospital. I met the outgoing house officer at 9am who gave me the bleep, told me the SHOs were in Clinic so to do a ward round and wished me luck. That was my induction 🤣🤣🤣 So glad it’s different now. #MedTwitter.
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This is my personal opinion. If we are all using the @gmcuk for registration then we should all pay the same fee. Either lower ours or raise the fee for PAs/AAs please.
So we heard today at the select committee debate @gmcuk will be charging £221 per annum for PA/AA registration. Why do I as a doctor have to pay £433?. I would much rather pay £221 as well, and come to think of it, I just might cancel my direct debit right now. 🙂.
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I am so grateful to those who supported me. My career has had many challenges so to be elected to @RCSnews Council is very special & I am excited to get started. Thank you to @DrAmyGarner for all her unending support & also to my colleagues in @PRiSM_Surgery. @EKHUFT @EKHUFTCMO.
Welcome to your newly elected Council members. 🎉. Congratulations to @yourkidssurgeon, Andrew Carr, @GinnyAB, @rammoorthyENT, Bryony Lovett and Peter Sagar who will begin their terms in July. Learn more about them and their priorities as Council members:
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Saw this today. Such a good idea to have in a hospital corridor for staff and visitors. Can we have one in the foyer and do our bit for #plasticpollution please? @Medway_NHS_FT @JamesDevineNHS
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In darkness there is hope and new life. We welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world tonight. A little earlier than expected but perfect in every way. Thank you to @GSTTnhs for everything today. #newlife @DrAmyGarner @Medway_NHS_FT
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So very excited and proud to be appointed to Head of School of Surgery for KSS today and hope to start in the New Year. @Humphrey_scott is going to be a hard act to follow! #ILookLikeASurgeon @Medway_NHS_FT (with lots of thanks to my biggest supporter @DrAmyGarner)
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I have thrown my hat into the ring for @rcsnews Council Elections. Here is my statement below. Your support would be amazing but please make sure you do vote for your chosen candidate to have your voice heard for the sake of our patients & our colleagues. Good luck to everyone!
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Dear @BBCNews . I politely asked your journalist @OReillyGem to read the @RCSnews statement regarding PAs following our last Council meeting. I was polite. I referred her to a website. And she blocked me. Is this how you work now? No debate? #shameful .
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“Chambers said: “I do not accept there was an ‘anti-doctor agenda’.”. The anti-doctor agenda has been allowed to grow, supported by successive governments. Time to stop it & reverse it #medtwitter.
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I’ve been saving this for a special occasion. Today is a special occasion. Congratulations @DrAmyGarner FRCS (T&O).#proudwifeytweet
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Proud mother moment: Twin 1 who is #autistic with severe #learningdisabilities managed an MRI at @EKHUFT with no sedation/GA. Thank you especially to Matt (radiographer). The earlier visit to show him what was going to happen worked well. And the reward of cake. @CEOEastKentHosp
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I’m also extremely grateful to the neurosurgery team especially the surgeon who undertook my surgery at @KingsCollegeNHS who have been amazing for the second time. The nurses on Murray Falconer ward are a credit to the Trust for their care and compassion.
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I only know a little sign language so I hope I got it right. “I came to work for you. Please stay at home for me” @Medway_NHS_FT #NHS #Covid19 #StayHomeSaveLives
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Twin 2 was so happy to see his mummy on @bbcsoutheast tonight. What more do I need to know than that he was proud of me. @MarkNormanNews @Medway_NHS_FT @NotLessCampaign @JamesDevineNHS @DrAmyGarner @MAddleyComms .#proudautismparent
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@Tim_C66 @addicted2newz She does not speak for the medical profession. She speaks only for herself and whoever indoctrinated her to think such horrendous thoughts which are wholly incompatible with a medical career.
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Yesterday was a funny old day. One minute I was celebrating (no alcohol involved) becoming the new Vascular SAC Chair and the next I was waiting to operate for most of the night! Neither situation can exist without the other. #ILookLikeASurgeon
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@drlouisenewson @thetimes This is definitely retrograde. Menopausal women are key to the workforce so lack of effective treatments has economic ramifications when so many are not working for other reasons. It may be natural but so is e.g. childbirth & that isn’t treated with hypnosis but proper analgesia!.
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How it started and where we are now! No. 1 son is now an adult. Born while I was still a trainee and I then worked #LTFT for a few years #TheOneThatMadeMeAMum #ILookLikeASurgeon
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@JeremyNewman33 @RoshanaMN I’m full time as are many of my colleagues at a Trust not too far from you & we have probably treated some of your patients. Please come and have a coffee so I can show you around & you can meet us. The photo below shows me with 6 of my full time consultant colleagues
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For #IWD2023 from the trainees & consultant surgeons at @Medway_NHS_FT - our annual photo but with more as consultants this year. Smashing the glass ceiling! #EmbraceEquity #ILookLikeASurgeon #liftasyouclimb .@Shirley106Chan @carisgrimes @AyeshahGDB1 @WomenSurgeonsUK
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Yesterday marked 35 years of working in the #NHS as a doctor after qualifying from Barts (@QMULBartsTheLon). Now a Consultant Vascular Surgeon & also honoured to be a Council Member of @RCSnews. Good luck to all those starting now & enjoy!. How it started & how it’s going:
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@GeeMcLachlan @thetimes @RoshanaMN @OrthopodReg @beckybeckyfish @LiangRhea @Liz_ORiordan @ArshadHoma @ASiTofficial @rosieICM @Assoc_Anaes Lost for words. So instead of male doctors controlling their urges for self gratification, female doctors should just lie back, think of England and “toughen up”. Unbelievable. Dr Hilton, what if this was your daughter or granddaughter? Would you just tell them to take it?.
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@Microbedoc2 @WelshGasDoc As an orthopaedic SHO doing a DHS and trying to get the guide wire in the correct position my reg said to me “are you trying to heal the fracture with radiotherapy?”.
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To celebrate #IWD2020 some of the women who are surgeons @Medway_NHS_FT both consultants and trainees (+baby bump). Women empower other women #EachforEqual #ILookLikeASurgeon @WomenSurgeonsUK #ifyouseeityoucanbeit @carisgrimes @Shirley106Chan @AyeshahGDB1
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Dear @Accor . Some doctors are female. Please uptake yourselves as this is a phenomenon happening since Elizabeth Garnett Anderson graduated from medical school in 1865. Sigh. #unconsciousbias #ilooklikeasurgeon
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@Dadyougeek I have been a doctor for 30 years now and a consultant surgeon for 15 years. I have 3 children and for 9 of those years I was a single mother. Anything is possible! Good luck 😊.
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Some interesting reading for Sunday afternoon with an excellent dedication. Surgical instruments are designed for male surgeons hands. Gowns are too long for average female height. Gloves are too big. #InvisibleWomen #bias #GenderEquity #ilooklikeasurgeon
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@RCSnews @RACSurgeons @scarlettmcnally If you want to be Dr call yourself that. If you want to be Mr/Miss/Ms/Mx be that. No vote needed just choose your title. For the record, whatever the result of a vote I shall remain Miss😉.
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Sorting through my brooches yesterday which tell a story: FRCS to FRCS(Gen) to Examiner then the original @PRiSM_Surgery badge now superseded by our @RCSnews one. The intertwined IVC & aorta was a gift from Prof Mansfield & shows my association with the @VSGBI.#ilooklikeasurgeon
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I have been listening to this today which was recorded by Dame Clare Marx earlier this year. @rcsnews would it be possible to keep on your website permanently? Her discussion of her early career and challenges would inspire so many. @WomenSurgeonsUK .
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And that’s a wrap with my last SAC meeting as #vascularsurgery SAC Chair after 3 years. What a rollercoaster ride it’s been!. Thank you to all my SAC colleagues @RouleauxClub @VSGBI @JCST_Surgery & @Schoolofsurg for your support. Good luck to @VascEd as the incoming Chair.
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At the @future_surgery today & am so pleased to see we now have our @PRiSM_Surgery badges available at the @RCSnews stand. They look amazing & are an fantastic example of progress in #diversity in our profession. Thank you @RCSnews. #WalkingTheWalk
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And I’m here, the sun is shining and my talk is uploaded. Good morning fellow @ASiTofficial attendees and hello #Aberdream!
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Reading this book on the train and find the dedication a bit sad. Surgery is a great career but never forget your family. #ILookLikeASurgeon #worklifebalance
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Monday morning clinic and apparently my brother who is an engineer is doing the clinic. the clinic staff were very apologetic however but it made me laugh! #ILookLikeASurgeon
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The #NHS wants us to be professional, have a vocation, go above and beyond. But in return they will only treat you like another name on a spreadsheet. This is what we have lost over the last 20-30 years & is where #culture has gone wrong. #ValueYourStaff #KnowYourWorth
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When you have your name in a @RCSnews College Council gown for the first time…. #madeit #ilooklikeasurgeon #DipsDay
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Make that call. Make that visit. Tell them you love them and are proud of them. Don’t put it off as life is too short and then suddenly they’re gone and you didn’t get the chance.
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Never too old for @LEGO_Group! L-R the Transplant Surgeon, the Orthopaedic Surgeon & the Vascular Surgeon! JB, @DrAmyGarner and me. #ILookLikeASurgeon #LEGO
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Clearing out my office and found this. First edition @AmCollSurgeons #ATLS manual published 1988 (I did the course in 1990). Guessing things have moved on…. #MedTwitter
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I know that my brother Ian was a respected member of the Engineering family with a long career at @iom3. It is with great sadness that I write of his sudden death last night. He was my fellow in childhood misadventures and my rock too. I will miss him. @DrColinChurch
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900 years today since @BartsHospital was founded by Rahere. I’m proud to have been a medical student there from 1984-1989. Happy Birthday to the Royal & Ancient! #barts900
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@RoshanaMN @theJeremyVine Totally agree with you @RoshanaMN. Our status eroded and respect for our knowledge & experience evaporated. Unbelievable that these doctors had to apologise. They were bullied & threatened with GMC referral = ultimate weapon of control for doctors.
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Rocking my new @RCSnews face mask at #DipsDay helping lead up the Diplomates. So lovely to hear Professor Averil Mansfield talk #ILookLikeASurgeon
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So excited & grateful to be appointed as Clinical Lead for the Professional Passport and Clinical Leadership at @RCSnews and as Vice Chair of the Vascular SAC in the last 2 weeks. Thankful to @Medway_NHS_FT for letting me take on these roles. #ILookLikeASurgeon #Diversity
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It’s been a fabulous week and ends for me back in the place where surgeons are happiest! #theatre #ILookLikeASurgeon #LVW22 #LesbianVisibilityWeek #PrideInSurgery @PRiSM_Surgery
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Finishing off my presentation and looking forward to my first @ASiTofficial conference! We’re now 3 weeks tomorrow to our inaugural #LGBTQ conference #OutAtTheCollege at the @RCSnews on 25 March and I’ll be talking more about that on Saturday. #ASiT2022 #PRISM #Aberdream
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@gmcuk I hope they will be paying the same fee to use the same organisation. There must be accountability for the fees doctors pay so it is clearly demonstrated that we are not subsidising a PA/AA register. I’m sure PA/AAs will also want to know the reverse is true.
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@Alexandra_nidd My response: Marrying a male surgeon is over rated. Which is why I married a female one. It’s the way forward. .
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@eveosh An example of how our opinions & position as professionals has been denigrated over many years which has resulted in this situation. In the current climate I am sadly not surprised that 7 senior clinicians were not listened to & the reputation of the Trust was put 1st.
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I think we did PRISM (LGBTQ+ Surgeons:Pride in Surgery Forum) proud today. Roll on #OutAtTheCollege on 25 March! Lovely to be on stage with you @PhillipaBurns2 😊
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My youngest twin put three words together at the weekend when he said “Yes I want”. He’s 14. I was blown away #proudautismparent.
Never ever judge my autistic son on what he can't do.What i do as a parent is celebrate everything he can do.Everything no matter how seemingly small .
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One year on, what have I learnt:. -EPR & remote consultations cost patients’ lives .-Grief doesn’t end. I still cry.-Siblings are the guardians of our childhood memories.-Tell people how much they mean to you now. Don’t wait.-Don’t procrastinate. Live life. One year on. RIP IJB.
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Our daughter’s #Pride T-shirt for her nursery party. Lucky to have two mummies who are both surgeons. #ILookLikeASurgeon Happy #Pride2022 . #LGBTQ #TwoMummies .@DrAmyGarner @PRiSM_Surgery
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#LesbianVisibilityWeek.I’m proud to be a gay woman in Surgery & am celebrating all #LGBTQ+ women & gender-diverse people in our community. Just been on the podium at @CXSymposium discussing COVID impact on training, wearing my @PRiSM_Surgery badge with #pride. #LVW22 #LwiththeT
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“First at my core has been the patient and second has been the trainee”.#IconOfSurgery #IWD2023 #InternationalWomansDay2023
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Have decided to deal with my #ImposterSyndrome and put myself up for College Council elections at RCS England. Surprised to hear that only 25% of fellows and members vote as I always have. Please read the statements and chose from the candidates. It’s your right to do so.
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And. it’s a wrap. I felt honoured to be part of such an inspirational session not only because of my fellow speakers but also because our trainees have put these important topics at the heart of their conference at @ASiTofficial #TheFutureIsBright #CultureIsChanging
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For parents of #ActuallyAutistic children every week is #AutismAwarenessWeek. So proud of my twins who let me into their worlds to see the everything in a different and beautiful way. #proudautismparent . @NotLessCampaign @Medway_NHS_FT
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Right to reply - please consider signing regarding Dr Hilton’s letter to The Times.
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As our SoS, @SteveBarclay please read this thread. You need surgeons now and we take time to train but our job makes us unwell and you lose experienced surgeons or we go off sick. Please consider improving the ergonomics i.e. equipment we have and you will then retain more us.
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Tomorrow applications open for #ST3 #NationalSelection for Vascular Surgery - the first year running our own recruitment process separate from General Surgery. Good luck everyone applying. Vascular Surgery is of course the best career choice @RouleauxClub @VSGBI @GarnhamAndy
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@gnwren I find it so sad to see somebody who is a member of our profession make such a discriminatory comment. Sets us back years in E&D and exactly not what we want @WomenSurgeonsUK @VictoriaPegna @GeeMcLachlan.
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After 17 yrs 7 months as a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at @Medway_NHS_FT (where I was also an SHO for 2 years) I move on to become an @EKHUFT Consultant tomorrow. #TUPE hasn’t been easy but I’m optimistic about the future. Will try to (mostly) behave & represent my new Trust well
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Can you have too many rainbows in your life or is it better to make the world a more colourful place to live? With thanks to @RainbowNHSBadge and @Medway_NHS_FT I now have my Rainbow NHS badge.
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For #LDweek19 I have taken the pledge with the help of the eldest twin. Please take the pledge for him and his twin brother #LDPledge @Medway_NHS_FT @eloisebrett
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How it started (1st @RCSnews Council portrait from 1884 currently displayed in @HunterianLondon) . vs . How it’s going (Council photo taken today)
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I am proud to have described mine and other surgeons experiences to the panel of being #LGBTQ and being a #surgeon. Hope and change will come. It’s up to us as a surgical community to do it. #ILookLikeASurgeon #hope.
Takes courage to hold a mirror and see flaws, it takes fortitude to accept them and dedication to set things right. The first two have been done by this report - difficult to read but there is commitment to address the 3rd together. Tough road ahead but it needs to be travelled.
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Whilst agreeing that the waiting lists urgently need tackling, why don’t you give the NHS the means to do it & have you factored in training? Private hospitals aren’t allowing access to trainees & taking the ideal training cases i.e. low risk. #NoTrainingTodayNoSurgeonsTomorrow
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With @carisgrimes & @Shirley106Chan celebrating #IWD2022 with most (but not all) of the female surgeons of all grades at @Medway_NHS_FT . #BreakTheBias #ILookLikeASurgeon
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Great day at @ASiTofficial 2024 in #Bournemouth. Thank you for inviting me to speak about workforce planning. Am looking forward to 2025! P.S. the sun wasn’t shining but I’m an eternal optimist that it will! Didn’t see any sticks of rock or candy floss either. #ilooklikeasurgeon
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@ROBERTM49462826 Thank you. If a title is used it should be correct I guess. I just want equality with my male counterparts 😊.
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For #IWD2021, consultants and trainees from #vascular #colorectal #orthopaedics #ENT at @Medway_NHS_FT . We #ChooseToChallenge stereotypes of surgeons #equality #diversity and are celebrating 30 years of @SurgeryWomen at @RCSnews . With @Shirley106Chan @carisgrimes
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Further evidence to support #diversity in anaesthetic & surgical teams leading to better outcomes for patients after surgery. @WomenSurgeonsUK. Hospital surgical teams with more women improve patient recovery, study finds | Gender | The Guardian
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@Edwina_Currie I’m on 12PAs, have been a consultant for 18 years and do not earn anywhere near £136k. I’ve also had to withdraw from the pension because of those brown envelopes from the taxman so lose out there too. You should sack your advisors for this information #GetYourFactsStraight.
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@ldwijesinghe We trained in the era where we didn’t pay fees to train/be educated and got grants etc so I felt I should pay that debt back. Not the same now with the cost of undergraduate and postgraduate training.
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@ShewbridgeMatt @sarah_aslannnn Hi Matt. Please have a read of this report which will increase your knowledge of the issues faced by female doctors (in this report surgeons) by Baroness Kennedy for @RCSnews published this week.
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So pleased to receive my awards today from @MFTInnovation for the work I have done in the Trust for #equality and for @NotLessCampaign and understanding Autism. Thank you! #proudautismparent @Medway_NHS_FT
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Face to face discussions achieve so much more than emails and emails can be open to misinterpretation. Should we move away from the email culture and pick up the phone more? @Medway_NHS_FT.
'You don't change culture through emails and memos. You change it through relationships. one conversation at a time ' #BGSconf
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@bumfluffboo @WelshGasDoc @timmytapper @DaveMur57787163 @Bricrabtree @LPodengo @UKCovid19Stats Still funny every time somebody falls for it!!
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@gillybean712 I hope you corrected them. It’s not OK to do that but not always easy to stand up to correct the untitling.
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I’m writing a document about the impact on surgical trainees of undergoing #IVF while training & want to put some anonymised experiences into it to understand the issues for both partners. Please can you DM me if you are able/willing to help. @WomenSurgeonsUK @PRiSM_Surgery
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