GIRLS at a North-East school were visited by a doctor this week, to show them surgery is not just for boys.

The sixth form pupils at Polam Hall School, in Darlington, were visited by Helen Richardson, an ear, nose and throat surgeon.

She gave the students a series of short talks, and a practical introduction to the basic skills used by surgeons. The girls were also given the chance to chat about what it is like being in surgery.

The session was part of a series of nationwide workshops, set up in 1991 by Women in Surgical Training (WIST), a group established by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and the Department of Health, in response to the small number female surgeons.

The number of female consultant surgeons has risen to 258 since September 1999. This still leaves women occupying only 5.3 per cent of the 4,930 posts in the UK.

Marie Green, headteacher at Polam Hall School, said: "The girls really enjoyed having a go at being a surgeon and I'm sure some of them will now consider it as a career option."