These brave, brave women!

As we approach International Nurses Day and the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, nurses may dress differently but their guiding selfless principles remain the same. 

It is a fact that 77% of the workforce within the NHS are women.* Women from all parts of the world and of all ages. Doing jobs ranging from Administration, Domestic and Support Clinical roles, through to nursing, doctors, physios, and all the wide range of other functions which are vital to the delivery of healthcare.

Eighty-nine percent of nurses are women. Ninety-five percent of midwives are women. In 2018, 45% of doctors were women. That proportion will be higher now.

As gynaecologist and obstetrician, I have seen throughout my career the way in which women juggle their work and home commitments. The adage that women put their order of priorities as ‘family, work, self’ is utterly true, and although this article is not intended to diminish the huge contribution made by men working in the same careers, I want to draw your attention to the additional burden that COVID-19 is having on the majority of the NHS workforce, and explain why I have decided to do something about it.

It’s a fact that women take time off work to see a doctor, usually their GP in the first instance, 32% more often than men.** This is for their own health needs; not their children or when pregnant. This is not because they are weak. In fact, quite the opposite. I often see women who have left coming to the doctor far too long; profoundly anaemic due to torrential periods which have come round with predictable regularity, but there was never the time to get help.

So during COVID when women are giving of their all and sometimes tragically giving their lives, I believe that the women of the NHS need additional help. I do a regular ‘surgery’ in the maternity department as part of the Well-being programme for our staff; today seeing 7 women who were midwives, a student nurse, an ODP, and a Ward Sister. Five of them had gynaecological problems which they were desperate to see a doctor about. One needed urgent treatment for a urinary tract infection. One had run out of her HRT. One was 7 weeks pregnant and anxious. All were incredibly grateful to get the problem sorted and to have advice which reassured them. Some will need to wait until ‘all this is over’ before there can be a final solution, but I have made life manageable for them meantime.

So next time you see pictures of women (I know it’s hard to tell!) under their PPE or part of the team ‘proning’ (turning onto their front) an ITU patient, just imagine if their tampon is leaking, their bladder is hurting, or they are having a hot flush underneath all that, and you will understand why Dr Morton’s – the medical helpline team through Tonsmor doctors, free to NHS staff everywhere….yes we do look after men too….. is proving such a lifeline to NHS staff all over the UK. A huge team of excellent doctors, some experienced GPs and some, uniquely, gynaecologists are at the end of a phone and video can be launched via the patient’s browser if need be. Another unique feature is that our patients can send a secure message; we call it an email but it isn’t really; and they will get an answer within minutes. I am sure we all recognise that feeling of not even wanting to speak to our best friend when we are exhausted. You need help but you haven’t the energy to talk. We are here for you.

*Source: NHS Digital NHS Hospital & Community Health Service (HCHS) workforce statistics

** ONS 2017 Sickness Absence in the UK Labour Market 2016