A surgeon from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been elected chairwoman for a surgical initiative which empowers women.

Felicity Meyer, QEH’s deputy medical director and consultant vascular surgeon, has secured the position as the next Women in Surgery Chair at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

This national initiative, which has been running since 1991, aims to inspire and enable women to follow surgical career paths.

It is significant as men considerably outnumber female surgeons in the UK; with a ratio of approximately 8:1.

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The election for the chairwoman position is a first for the initiative, and Ms Meyer, who faced competition from seven other candidates, starts her term in September 2024.

Ms Meyer said: “I am absolutely thrilled and humbled to be the first elected chair of Women in Surgery.

“I look forward to the challenges ahead and continuing the good work of the current chair."

Medical director at The QEH, Dr Rebecca Martin, said: “We are all very proud to have Felicity as a member of Team QEH, and wish her every success in her important additional role.”