The first time Dr Becky Cox, a 33-year-old GP from Oxford, was sexually assaulted by a colleague she wanted to report it. “I really, really thought about it,” she remembers. “But I decided it wasn’t going to be taken seriously, and if anything, it’d be detrimental to my career”.

Cox had come to that conclusion after recently finishing medical school, where a “culture of misogyny” had loomed large right from the outset. There were “casual sexist comments, inappropriate remarks, rude comments about women doctors and nurses. There’s almost this sort of lad culture and ‘banter’ that was going on amongst doctors.” She wondered if things might change as she progressed up the career ladder. But after six months in surgical training – and another sexual assault – she’d had enough. “I just thought, I can’t do this anymore. So I left.”

Many in the medical profession feel the same way. In recent weeks, the service has found itself plagued by the “greatest workforce crisis in NHS history,” according to a report from MPs. As of today, there are some 105,000 vacancies, with doctors, nurses and midwives reporting being pushed out by bullying, harassment and burnout. Women make up 77 per cent of the NHS – the UK’s biggest employer – yet many say they are subjected to sexist discrimination that dents their wellbeing, earning prospects and prospective promotions. The report also points out that “talented women are missing out on the opportunity to become surgeons because of a lack of support”.