Today (8th March 2022) is International Women’s Day, and to celebrate, Stacey Hunter, CEO of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, has shared a message to celebrate her female colleagues.

She writes, “At Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust I’m proud to say that we have extremely talented and hard-working colleagues in a whole host of roles within the hospital who have my utmost admiration and respect.

“However today, on International Women’s Day and for Women’s History Month throughout March, it is my female colleagues who I want to honour. This year’s theme for Women’s History Month is ‘Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope’ and is our opportunity to celebrate these incredible women who work in service of others and who inspire by building their future, their way.

“Here at the Trust, we celebrate and value diversity. It’s so important to learn from one another by sharing ideas, experiences and knowledge, and I am truly lucky to work alongside some amazing influential women. Each of them has had their own unique journey to get to where they are today.

“Alex Crick is one of our Consultants in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, and is the Trust’s Clinical Lead for the Armed Forces. She runs a War Injuries Clinic, which has a national remit and has provided care over many years to injured veterans from recent conflicts. Alex has been at the Trust as a consultant since 2008.”

Alex commented, “there were very few female surgeons when I started my training”.

It was the people that surrounded her (both her Father and Grandfather were eye surgeons and she had a strong network of women including her Mother, Grandmother and Aunt) who inspired her to pursue her career.

Her advice to other women today is to “be as good as you can be and persevere.”

Stacey continues, “As Salisbury’s biggest employer we believe we all have a duty, every day, to lift each other up and take action for equality, of all kinds, to ensure we continue to build a community where it’s safe to be who we are as individuals. On International Women’s Day it’s important that we take time to reflect on the actions of the women who have helped to shape our history, and celebrate recent achievements and those who inspire and lead all of us into the future.

“Take a moment to appreciate and connect with those around you, the mothers, daughters, grandmothers, friends and partners who help make our hospital and our local and global community what they are today. I know I personally will be thinking of all the women who are being impacted by the devastating situation happening in Ukraine right now. By standing together we can empower, support and educate women, and drive for equality, which will help us to create a better environment for us all.”