Barbara Stocking is the NHS Executive's regional director for Anglia and Oxford. She warns women trying to make it to the top that they can expect to run up against discrimination.

'It's happened to me many times, though it gets easier as you get older and more powerful. How I handle it depends on how blatant it is. When you do run into discrimination by men, you just have to show them you can do the job. They usually live to regret it and end up thinking, 'I wish I hadn't

underestimated that woman'.'

Ms Stocking believes that despite all the efforts to ease women's path to the top in the health service, many are put off applying for more senior roles because of the nature of the job.

'It would be good to have more women chief executives at regional level - I'm still the only one. I do work quite long hours, though no more than a chief executive in any other job. I have two boys, and I think they make it possible for me to do this job. They are an antidote to the pressures of the NHS.

'I think people need to be more assertive about the way they do the job. If they want to do a four-day week they should push for it. Some people can do five days' work in four days. It's not the hours you put in, it's what you bring to the job.'