The controversial reality within Australian hospitals

MedTech & Diagnostics News: In a resounding call to address a pervasive and deeply entrenched issue within the medical field, Associate Professor Ada Cheung, Principal Research Fellow, Endocrinology, Department of Medicine (Austin Health) at the University of Melbourne, has raised the alarm on the urgent need for a robust gender equity framework within Australian hospitals. Misogyny in medicine represents a significant impediment to ensuring quality patient care and a fair professional environment for all.

The magnitude and severity of this issue were further spotlighted in a recent controversy that erupted around a letter to the editor authored by Dr Peter Hilton, a retired British anaesthetist, and subsequently published in a prominent UK newspaper. Dr Hilton brazenly labelled female doctors as part of the “snowflake generation” and audaciously urged them to “toughen up” in response to startling statistics that brought to light a deeply troubling reality: 30% of female surgeons had experienced sexual assault perpetrated by their male colleagues while at work.

Outraged and profoundly concerned by Dr Hilton’s appalling comments, Associate Professor Cheung made a compelling case, emphasising that such opinions were regrettably not isolated incidents but instead reflective of a systemic and widespread mindset that has found a disconcerting home in the very corridors of Australian public hospitals.

She stated, “I’ve seen it, heard it, and lived it.”

Despite female medical students outnumbering their male counterparts since the mid-1980s, there remains a glaring underrepresentation of women in leadership roles across all medical and academic fields.

“In my specialty of endocrinology, of the 11 teaching hospitals with Endocrine Departments in Victoria, only two are led by a female. This is despite 78% of endocrinology trainees being female,” remarked Associate Professor Cheung.

The pervasive nature of misogyny within hospital structures exacerbates the challenges faced by female professionals, perpetuating an atmosphere of inequity and making it immensely difficult for victims to report inappropriate behaviour due to valid fears of retaliation.

“Men hold most of the senior leadership roles within public hospitals, and as such, control performance reviews, references and the future careers of medical staff they supervise,” she added.

Recognising the urgency of this matter, Associate Professor Cheung pressed for a radical review of hospital leadership structures, asserting that such a profound transformation would foster a culture of psychological safety, empowering staff to raise their voices and concerns, ultimately leading to more effective and empathetic patient care.

Addressing the gender pay gap and workload disparities among medical professionals is not just an ethical imperative but an economic necessity. Female doctors, despite shouldering substantial yet often overlooked work, endure a stark salary disparity, receiving incomes 12 to 25% lower than their male counterparts across all medical specialties. This chasm is further widened by an unequal distribution of resources and responsibilities, both within the hospitals and at home.

“On top of the gender pay gap is a workload gap. Female doctors undertake more mentoring of junior medical staff, accept more committee service, are more likely to answer patient queries and more accurately document in medical records. All highly important but invisible work.

“Outside of the hospital, inequity doesn’t end. High achieving female physician scientists spend 8.5 hours more per week than their male counterparts on domestic activities like caring for children or family,” Associate Professor Cheung noted.

Despite these formidable obstacles, patients attended to by female surgeons and physicians often experience superior outcomes, underscoring the critical importance of gender diversity within the medical field and highlighting the need for a paradigm shift.

In light of the mounting crisis resulting from the inability to retain female doctors, Associate Professor Cheung made a fervent and urgent plea for immediate and comprehensive action, urging various stakeholders, including the government, unions, and hospital boards, to commit to addressing misogyny in medicine and to institute transformative changes in governance and accountability structures. She emphasised that the time for mere acknowledgment has passed, and what is needed now is tangible and decisive action.

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