I’m a female surgeon – these are the horrific sexual abuses we face every day

This week’s publication into sexual misconduct in surgery, and the accompanying report, which I co-authored, make for shocking reading. Once a complaint is raised, the retorts begin: “But he’s such a good surgeon,” “He’s so good with patients,” “He couldn’t possibly be abusing trainees because he is so supportive of them in meetings.” The complainant is often viewed under suspicion – “She must be lying.” For busy NHS management, the easiest option is to dismiss the case, as the doctor in training will move on to a new hospital, but the accused consultant can stay as he is too important and needed to treat patients and train other doctors.” There are waiting lists to get through, and this surgeon works extra shifts at weekends, he brings in money to the trust, if we suspend him there is no one to do the extra work, patients will suffer. Anyway, she’ll move hospital soon enough.” So, perpetrators are given a green light to continue doing what they have always been doing – with impunity. The student whose bottom was groped in front of others, with the consultant declaring “nothing will happen if I do this.” The consultants who ranked the trainees in order of who they would “f**k first.” The pregnant trainee whose consultant touched her belly and told her he finds pregnant women very sexy. This is not the first time that surgery in the UK has been labelled as having a “MeToo movement.” There have been several over the years – the last was two years ago – with personal accounts of women surgeons who had experienced these behaviours shared in print and online.