Women also represented 53 per cent of senior registrars in paediatrics and 48 per cent in psychiatry.The figures may put ministers under pressure to do more to encourage women into the specialties that they appear to avoid, particularly obstetrics and gynaecology where many patients prefer a woman. But ministers will point to the fact that higher rates of women in the junior grades suggest that the percentage becoming consultants will rise in the future.The total number of female hospital medical staff has risen by 63 per cent since 1985 to 17,000 in 1995. But there are clear signs of growth in the numbers of female consultants in paediatrics - up from 110 (19 per cent) to 380 (34 per cent) over 10 years; in pathology - up from 300 (20 per cent) to 480 (28 per cent); and in psychiatry - up from 400 (22 per cent) to 680 (30 per cent). There are also 60 female senior registrars in surgery, about 8 per cent of the total.Women are also shunning accident and emergency services, and make up only 13 per cent of all consultants in A&E units. The proportion of female hospital medical consultants grew from 13 per cent to 19 per cent over the past decade but figures released today show that only 4 per cent of surgeons are women. The health service bulletin reveals that women who go into hospital for obstetric and gynaecology problems are still more likely to be treated by a man than a woman; the percentage of female consultants has risen by only 4 per cent since 1985, to 16 per cent in 1995.The percentage of female surgeons has risen from 2 to 4 per cent In the whole of the NHS, only 160 surgeons are women. This approach is believed to be close to the thinking of Stephen Dorrell, the Secretary of State for Health.But Philip Hunt, director of Nahat, said: "We are in the last chance saloon. Unless we can make joint working between health and local authorities a reality, the option of a new mental health authority would have to be brought into the arena once again."Yesterday's report argues that creating such a body would take four years to achieve any benefits and would still leave in place some of the boundary problems between health, social and other services.

The existing problems are so great however, that "the only option which can be ruled out is to do nothing".. Women appear to be turning their backs on careers as hospital surgeons, in spite of a general growth in the number of female doctors in the National Health Service. But the authority warned that if its blueprint for a new single budget fails then separate mental health authorities might have to be the answer.Under the ideas, which were backed by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, separate funds for care of the mentally ill would be brought into one, overseen by a committee drawn from both health and social services and with one chief executive or director for mental health spending. A radical plan to merge health and social services funding for the mentally ill under a single chief executive was put forward yesterday to end the "confusion and instability" which surrounds services for the mentally ill.

You're going to have to change your message and say 'please'.BEEP [the sound of an answer phone]ADAM: (off) Hello, Mandy It's Adam again Well done You passed the first test I like it when you say 'please'.. The call from the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts (Nahat) is a large step towards the idea of a single mental health authority to control all spending on mental illness which was put forward earlier this year by John Major and revealed exclusively in the Independent earlier this month. Yesterday's proposals stop short of that while saying that the idea "has some attractions". It's a huge industry, and people will learn a lot from the play about what's going on," said Mr Jenkins.8 The Killer in You, directed by Michael Eriera, Diverse Attractions Theatre Complex, Grassmarket, 12 to 31August.Message in the scriptShe takes a step towards him and slams the barrel of the gun across his head He collapses on the ground in a heap.Lights go out The stage is in darkness.ADAM: (off) Bitch! You want pain I'll give you pain But you can't take it You're bluffing You think you can, but you can't I want to give you pain and my name is Adam I'm going to beat you till you bleed .. But I'm not going to give you my number You're going to have to work for it. "All the people who responded were middle- to upper-class, well-educated, with BBC accents. Yet their messages were like shopping lists of violence.""Few people have addressed the subject of sex-for-sale cards which are taking over our city centres Most are put up by pimps for young girls.