Of course, women have struggled in the past, but Mansfield, who is 65, insists that surgery can be plain sailing, the perfect career for a woman and.... I believe her. She exudes trust. She is tall, calm, imposing, charming and if I had to have an enormous five-hour, life-threatening operation, I would want her to do it. University of Liverpool graduate Averil Mansfield CBE has published the inspiring story of her journey to become the UK’s first-ever female vascular surgeon and first female Professor of surgery. Born in 1937, Averil studied at Liverpool University’s School of Medicine and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine in 1960. Averil began her career at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital before becoming a lecturer in surgery at the University. She later become consultant vascular surgeon at St Mary’s hospital in London. I started the Women in Surgical Training initiative at the Royal College of Surgeons to encourage and support more women who wished to pursue the specialty. I was astonished at how many women turned up for the first meeting. It became obvious that, even at that stage, lots of women were thinking about becoming surgeons but were put off from actually doing it because they thought it just wasn’t possible. I’m pleased to see how far we’ve come now – it’s no longer cause for comment if you’re a surgeon who is a woman. Progress in the specialty Professor Averil Mansfield spent over 20 years as a vascular surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital. In 1993, she became the first female professor of surgery in the UK and used her profile to encourage more women to join the profession. She served on the council of the Royal College of Surgeons and later as its vice president. She also served as president of the Vascular Surgical Society and the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland and, in 1999 was awarded a CBE for services to surgery and women in medicine. In May 2018, she was given an NHS Heroes Award. Professor Mansfield talks to us about her career highlights, being a role model and how her specialty has changed over the years.

Life in Her Hands by Averil Mansfield | Waterstones

Pioneering surgeon blazed a trail for women in medicine, becoming the UK’s first female professor of surgery. I’ve lived through the advent of ultrasound, CT and MRI scanning, and all have made diagnosis more reliable and help plan for surgery,” she says. It's jolly hard work, let's be honest about it. The commitment is quite a major one. But it's the commitment that makes it enjoyable. If I operate on a patient and it's scheduled to last an hour and it lasts for four, there's nothing I can do about that. I have to see it through to the end. To me the professional satisfaction has been caring for somebody, as far as is humanly possible, right through their illness."

John William Paulton Bradley (husband), Russell Bradley (step son), Jason Bradley (step son), Lesley Forbes (step daughter) First British woman to be appointed a professor of surgery. President of the British Medical Association (2009-2010). A great read. I am honoured to have worked with such a legend' David Nott'A role model for women' Independent'A wonderful read' Julian Fellowes'Remarkable' Lauren Laverne'Charming' GuardianWe were occasionally expected to travel by ambulance to a serious case and would always have a kit of tools and drugs ready for emergency calls. Averil’s compelling account shines light on a medical and societal world that has changed beyond measure, but which – as she shows through her experiences – still has a long way to go for the women finding their place within it.

University of Liverpool alumna publishes story of her career

Imaging has changed beyond all recognition since I first became a surgeon. I’ve lived through the advent of ultrasound, CT and MRI scanning – none of them existed when I qualified as a doctor. All of these things have made diagnosis more reliable and considerably easier and also help us plan for surgery. In one of my earliest aortic aneurysms, one of the patient’s kidneys was down in their pelvis which meant that the blood supply to the kidney was going to be cut off when I did the operation. It was perfectly feasible to proceed, and I successfully completed the operation, but today surgeons know things like that ahead of time and can make arrangements to ensure the procedure goes smoothly. The 'audience' of shipworkers delighted in telling me that there were rats the size of dogs down in the grain. Averil's account shines light on a medical and societal world that has changed beyond measure, but which - as she shows through her experiences - still has a long way to go for the women finding their place within it. Mansfield retired from surgery in 2002. [4] She was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2005, and was elected president of the British Medical Association in 2009–2010. [1] In 2012 she was voted one of "100 Women Who Have Changed the World" by The Independent on Sunday. [1]

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After I retired in 2003, I took on the chairmanship of the Stroke Association for five years which was a wonderful experience. I went all over the country and really enjoyed watching the average person’s knowledge of stroke develop from almost complete ignorance to quite a sophisticated understanding. I then spent one year as the BMA’s president and another five years as the chairman of the BMA’s board of science in addition to a number of other charitable roles. The second thing is to remain focused on that which is most important to you at every stage in your career, particularly if you take on something academic. There will be many demands on your time and it’s very easy to become distracted from what you’re supposed to be doing. But if you really want to do it, go for it. You can do it! Anaesthesia has improved in leaps and bounds during my time as a surgeon. When I started in 1960, anaesthesia was not nearly as sophisticated as it is now and there was no such thing as an intensive care unit. The anaesthetist keeps the patient alive while we surgeons carry out major and, sometimes, quite hazardous procedures. They have the knowledge and skills to maintain the integrity of a patient’s cardiovascular system during the course of the procedure. As surgeons we depend on the anaesthetist and it’s very much a partnership. I’ve worked with some wonderful anaesthetists and I’ve always been grateful for how they ensure patients are well looked after. Mansfield was born 11 years before the advent of the NHS – she recalls her parents saving money in a jar on the mantelpiece to pay medical bills – and witnessed the many benefits it provided as well as huge advances in technology during her years in practice. Could women be more sensitive to certain procedures - gynaecological ones, perhaps? "Gynaecologists of both sexes understand the problems very well. I don't think there's any difference between the approach. It's what appeals to you as a patient. Some would definitely prefer to go to a man, some to a woman. The important thing is to let them have choice."