Dr Alenka Brooks scoops top prize for setting up Sheffield Women in Medicine network

A DOCTOR specialising in disorders of the digestive system has scooped a top national prize for helping set up an inspiring network championing the need for more women to get top positions in medicine and academia.

Dr Alenka Brooks, a specialist registrar in gastroenterology at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, played a lead role in setting up the Sheffield Women in Medicine network, which aims to combat the underrepresentation of women in top medical jobs.

More than half of medical students and 40 per cent of doctors are female – but fewer than 28 per cent of consultants are women.

Now Dr Alenka Brooks has been named a Personal, Fair and Diverse Champion by NHS Employers in recognition of the achievements she has made in making the NHS a more diverse workplace.

The network is run by junior and senior doctors at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and academics from the University of Sheffield. Its inaugural meeting took place in February this year, attended by over 200 delegates, and supported by Miriam González Durántez, a partner at an international law firm and the figurehead behind the national Inspiring Women campaign which aims to increase the numbers of women in leading positions in society.

Dr Alenka Brooks, a specialist registrar in gastroenterology at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

The Sheffield Women in Medicine network aims to provide a positive forum through which female professionals can learn through the experience of others, foster a change in culture through peer support and mentoring opportunities and by increasing the visibility and recognition of women in medicine by highlighting successes.

This award is great news for the Network, and will hopefully raise the profile of the work even further. The next event is to be held on the 21 October, between 6pm to 8.30pm, so we look forward to seeing you there.

Dr Alenka Brooks was one of four individuals selected for the award, which saw entries double from last year.

Professor Chris Ham CBE, chief executive of The King's Fund will be speaking alongside Carol Culshaw, one of The Health Foundation's leadership development consultants, at the next event on 21 October. These high profile keynote speakers will give the network an opportunity to hear from international experts on leadership development and the role coaching plays in this.