After all she has endured at the hands of male doctors, Jean Hatchet couldn't be clearer.
'If there was a man and a woman, each similarly qualified in the area of medicine I needed, I would choose the woman,' says the 55-year-old former teacher from Sheffield.
'I look back in horror at what I've experienced over the years, and would never let a male medic touch my body now. At all.'
Jean's ordeal began in November 2017 when a male radiographer carried out a 'rough' internal scan – and failed to spot tumours that had developed in her ovaries, liver and bowel. She was eventually diagnosed six months later.
Then, during the operation to remove the growths, one surgeon – who also happened to be male – suggested it was necessary to remove a section of her bowel and fit a stoma bag, which collects waste products outside the body.
In many cases they are permanent and carry risks including serious infection and hernia.
This was despite Jean's decision – which she had put in writing before the procedure – to refuse a stoma, whatever happened.
Jean Hatchet's ordeal began in November 2017 when a male radiographer carried out a 'rough' internal scan – and failed to spot tumours that had developed in her ovaries, liver and bowel. The 55-year-old former teacher from Sheffield was eventually diagnosed six months later
Thankfully, her oncologist – a woman – was also present, and had 'fought her corner' to make sure her wishes were respected.
'After the surgery, I learned that – because my amazing oncologist stuck it out – he was forced to make that extra effort, and they managed to cut the tumour away without removing any of the bowel.
'She made him work harder when he wanted to take the easy route. I tell everyone: if you can, ask for a woman.'
Jean's experience is, she believes, a good example of the different care patients can receive at the hands of a female surgeon. They are strong words, but is Jean right? Are there times a woman would be better off demanding a female doctor?
A major study published this month suggests there might be. Canadian researchers looked at 1.3 million case reports and discovered something they rightly described as 'troubling': that women are 15 per cent more likely to have a bad outcome from surgery, and 32 per cent more likely to die, with a male surgeon.
The type of operation doesn't seem to matter, the researchers found – the same outcome held true for a knee op, weight-loss surgery or complex procedures on the brain or heart.
A major study published this month suggests there might be. Canadian researchers looked at 1.3 million case reports and discovered something they rightly described as 'troubling': that women are 15 per cent more likely to have a bad outcome from surgery, and 32 per cent more likely to die, with a male surgeon (stock photo)
For men, however, whether they had a male or female surgeon made no difference at all to their outcome.
As about 80 per cent of surgeons are men, it raises the concerning prospect of a deep inequality at the heart of the NHS. As the study's authors put it: 'We are failing some female patients with fatal consequences.'
The obvious question is why. The Canadian team suggested male surgeons may be acting on 'subconscious, deeply ingrained biases, stereotypes and attitudes'.
Could this translate into a more freewheeling attitude towards female patients, or female conditions, and then worse outcomes? The sad truth is that it already does.
For instance, the average time it takes to diagnosis endometriosis – when the womb lining grows uncontrollably outside the womb in regions such as the pelvis or bowel – is eight years.
Many women with endometriosis are initially misdiagnosed or offered painkillers, and not investigated to find the real cause.
Untreated, endometriosis can worsen to the point where patients are left with organ damage.
In 2020, The Mail on Sunday reported on a landmark legal case in which endometriosis patient Fran Bell was awarded a record £500,000 payout from Nottingham University Hospitals after 'patronising and condescending' male doctors failed to spot the warning signs of the disease for 18 years.
Shockingly, they called her 'highly strung'. Having read about endometriosis, she suggested it to one of them – but it was ignored.
By the time she was diagnosed in her early 30s, the abnormal tissue was in her bowel and spine and on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the back down the legs. The disease had, in her words, 'obliterated' her insides, leaving her infertile.
Most disturbingly, her solicitors suggested that her experience was 'not untypical'. And campaigners say other female conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, or illnesses which predominantly affect women, such as painful fibromyalgia, are also under-researched and poorly understood.
'Women suffering pain are often labelled as attention-seeking, not very brave,' says Dr Stephanie deGiorgio, a GP specialising in women's health. 'Anyone who's ever had pelvic pain from endometriosis knows just getting up in the morning is really hard. Women's pain isn't seen as serious.'
As for the disturbing findings of the Canadian study, Dr deGiorgio told the Medical Minefield podcast last week: 'There's clearly something going wrong. I wouldn't like to say that it's male doctors doing something wrong, but it might be something to do with communication. It might be that there is easier communication between a female patient and a female doctor.'
This is backed up by research. One recent study found women GPs had better clinical knowledge and used their listening skills more regularly than men, asking more questions about patients' mood,
