1. Developing people for health and healthcare
MedReg+1:
relaunching into
clinical practice after
parental leave
London School of Medicine
July 24th 2014

2. Developing people for
health and healthcare
• Women make up approximately 40% of all medical
doctors in the UK and 28% of medical consultants
• The majority of doctors in training are women
• Women are under-represented
• as Heads of Department
• at all levels of NHS Management and
Leadership
• as Clinical researchers and as full time
academics
Background

3. Developing people for
health and healthcare
slide 4
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
Male and female intake into UK
medical schools(1960–2007)
1960 20071977 1987 19971967
Female share
Percent
1960 2007
24
56
Male
Female

4. Developing people for
health and healthcare

5. Developing people for
health and healthcare
slide 20
Percent of female consultants
working part-time, by specialty
(General Practice)
Paediatrics
Public Health
Obstetrics and
gynaecology
Pathology
Radiology
A&E
Anaesthetics
48
30
38
44
35
24
37
17
28
20
16
(NHS England, 2007)
(Opthalmology) 36
* 2005
More People Oriented
More Technology Oriented
More
Unpredictable
More
‘Plan-able’
*
Psychiatry
Medical group
Surgical group

6. Developing people for
health and healthcare
Parental leave and postgraduate training
• Postgraduate training is linear long and arduous
• 48% of women and 52% men have their first child while a
Registrar or in SpR training posts
• Parenthood is no doubt life changing and hugely
rewarding but reconciling parenthood and medicine can
be challenging
• Some trainees feel a loss of momentum and describe
isolation, frustration and stress in navigating their
‘relaunch’ into clinical practice

7. Developing people for
health and healthcare
Why is the relaunch challenging?
• Higher specialty trainees have a perceived lack of
competence on returning to work after maternity leave
• Some report a loss of confidence
• Acute on call commitments often mean working out of
hours and without direct supervision
• Registrars commonly return to an unfamiliar working
environment and potentially a new working arrangement
• Lack of time and funding may be constraints for
maintaining specialty skills or educational activities during
maternity leave

8. Developing people for
health and healthcare
Returning
to clinical
practice
Work life
balance
Change in
self identity Restoring a
sense of
value
“I’ve been a doctor longer than I’ve been a
mum…… I’m ready to get back in the saddle”

9. Developing people for
health and healthcare
The practicalities
Childcare Attitudes
GeographySupport
Work pattern
On call rotas

10. Developing people for
health and healthcare
Today is all about Questions….
• What’s new in Neurology?
• What are childcare vouchers?
• How many shocks do I give again?
• How am I going to make this work
• Am I the only one thinking this?
• Is that vomit, Weetabix or banana in my hair today?
• Why are all newborn clothes white?
• Why didn’t I wear scrubs for the whole of my maternity
leave?……they are just so comfy and versatile

11. Developing people for
health and healthcare
Reasons Medical
Registrars make good
parents
 Predict disaster
 Familiar with self
sacrifice
 Some experience of out
of hours
 Know basic first aid
Reasons parents make
good Medical Registrars
 Self fulfilled
 Broader perspective
 Comprehensibility
 Reciprocity
 Nurture and support
 Resourcefulness
 Problem solving
 Prioritisation
 Time management