Of course someone is blaming women for the NHS crisis
Unsurprising news: someone seems to be blaming women for the current NHS crisis.
A recent article in the Sunday Times, by columnist Dominic Lawton (brother of chef Nigella Lawson), sought to blame women for the troubles the NHS is currently facing. It referred to the ‘feminisation of medicine’ and included this claim: 'fewer women than men choose to work out of hours, and the increase in women doctors may have partly influenced the recent abandonment of out-of-hours work by general practitioners in the UK’.
Lawton suggested female doctors refuse to work 'anti-social' hours because they want to be with their families. The implications are significant.
Diagnosis: sexism is alive and well.
Yesterday, the British Medical Association announced another 24-hour strike, scheduled for 10 February, because negotiations with the government over new junior doctor contracts have not been successful.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to make 'normal' working hours 7-10, rather than 9-5. Changes to pay and working conditions are also proposed. Many doctors aren't happy and, as is their right, medical professionals of all genders are opposing these overhauls.
Certainly, the NHS is facing a funding crisis, but 'feminisation' is not to blame.
This all makes for pretty bleak reading. However, in response doctors (both male and female) have done something pretty amazing.
Using the hashtag #LikeALadyDoc they are hitting back. Rubbishing Lawton's sexist article and shouting about the vital role women play in the NHS.
Here's a handful of the best responses:
