Navigating the NHS and having a family

The proportion of women entering UK medical schools has increased rapidly, with women now making up 60% of students. The changing gender composition of the medical workforce brings to the forefront the National Health Service's (NHS) need to adapt to help women thrive in the workplace.

Our Women's Clinical Network organised a free Trust-based half-day event called 'Navigating the NHS and Having a Family', open to all doctors of any gender, grade and specialty, with presentations on topics including NHS family leave entitlements and less than full-time training. Pre-event and post-event surveys collected qualitative and quantitative data.

Pre-event, we identified a lack of knowledge regarding family leave entitlements and processes. A quarter of attendees felt it possible to have a great career and a family, pre-event. This rose to over three-quarters, post-event. We also demonstrated improved knowledge on how to navigate the NHS and have a family post-event.

Changes need to be made to ensure clinicians make informed decisions when planning a family. Our half-day information session highlighted one relatively simple way in which this can be addressed. Integrating events such as ours will help disseminate information effectively and with lasting impact.