New sexism row engulfs the British Medical Association after conference president accuses members of being ‘condescending’ and ‘disparaging’ towards women
- Dr. Latifa Patel said she was disrespected and subjected to ‘bad behaviour’
The doctors’ union has been embroiled in a new sexist row after members were accused of being ‘condescending’ and ‘disparaging’ towards women.
Dr. Latifa Patel, who chaired the British Medical Association’s (BMA) annual conference in Belfast this week, claimed she was disrespected and subjected to ‘bad behaviour’.
She told delegates that she and Dr Emma Runswick, deputy chair of the BMA council, were treated differently to male predecessors.
It suggests the culture has not changed five years after Daphne Romney QC conducted an independent inquiry into sexism at the doctors’ union.
Dr. Latifa Patel, who chaired the BMA’s annual conference this year, said she had been the victim of ‘bad behaviour’
She said that she and Dr. Emma Runswick (pictured), deputy chair of the BMA council, were treated differently to their male predecessors.
Some men addressed women in derogatory terms such as “naughty girls,” touched them inappropriately and ogled their breasts, the report found.
Dr. Patel urged members to vote for more women and minorities in internal elections. She said: ‘If you want to be a representative body, you have to support the women around you.’
The row threatens to overshadow a five-day strike by trainee doctors, which starts today.
Critics called doctors “hypocrites” for demanding a 35 percent pay increase and better working conditions while importing union-branded hats, likely worn on the picket lines, from China, where workers are often treated poorly.