More needs to be done to ensure leadership talent is encouraged and barriers are removed for women in healthcare.
There are many inspirational women in healthcare who are making a difference. Paula Vasco-Knight, for example, worked her way up from student nurse, to chief executive of the South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. One of very few CEOs from a black and minority ethnic background, she was designated as senior responsible officer for the NHS Equality Delivery System – a national role which takes her all over the country, promoting the equalities agenda.
Since her appointment as CEO in 2008, she led the Trust from strength-to-strength. On her arrival, she announced that she wanted Torbay to be ‘the best hospital in the country’ and in late 2011 the Trust won an award for Acute Healthcare Organisation of the Year. Her personal contribution was recognised, last year, by the NHS Award for Inspiration, in the NHS Leadership Awards, which highlighted ‘her electric energy’ and ability to ‘enthuse every department she visits’.
What sets Paula apart is her visibility – the fact that, once a month, she leaves hierarchy at the boardroom door, and dons her nurse’s uniform to work at the bedside. As well as ensuring she is approachable and in touch with the realities of the front line, she writes to staff on a regular basis, to share and celebrate good practice and thank individuals who, through their work, have demonstrated her values for the Trust.
There are many women, from ward to board, who demonstrate leadership qualities in their everyday roles – they show the ability to develop, nurture and engage the strengths of others; they have a clear vision of the way care can be improved – matched by the ability to make this a reality. They demonstrate the capacity to build effective teams, encourage others and lead by example. You will have worked alongside them; felt motivated by them, perhaps sometimes even challenged by them. It is disappointing to learn, therefore, that the glass ceiling, for many, is still intact.
A recent survey carried out by The King’s Fund and Health Service Journal (HSJ) suggests that women are still facing barriers to becoming senior leaders in the NHS. Just under half of those who responded to the survey thought having children put their career at a disadvantage, and two-thirds felt a greater pressure to prove themselves than their male counterparts. Other respondents said that they struggled with a culture of an old boys’ network and attitudes to women leaders. Separate research by HSJ found that, while women make up three-quarters of the NHS workforce, just 37% of senior roles on clinical commissioning group governing bodies and NHS provider boards are held by women.
Nicola Hartley, director of leadership development at The King’s Fund, commented: “There some great women leaders in healthcare but the pace of change has been incredibly slow. These findings should act as a prompt to examine why we have too few women in the most senior roles and what we can do to change that.”
The Secretary of State has identified the need to put ‘care, compassion and respect’ for patients at the heart of leadership. We also need to start adopting these values in the way we treat talented women that work within the health service and who show an aptitude for leadership, but say they feel unsupported and undervalued.
Comment by LOUISE FRAMPTON
Editor
