More women doctors than men for first time in UK

There are much pistillate doctors than antheral doctors successful the UK for the archetypal time, figures show.

The General Medical Council (GMC) said the fig of women connected its registry had overtaken men for the archetypal time, though numbers alteration crossed England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Some 164,440 women are registered with a licence to practise, making up 50.04% of the register, compared with 164,195 men, the aesculapian regulator said.

One of the driving factors has been the rising fig of women joining UK aesculapian schools, it added.

Since 2018/19, determination person been much pistillate than antheral aesculapian students successful each of the 4 nations, the regulator said.

Its figures amusement determination were hardly immoderate pistillate doctors much than 150 years agone erstwhile the registry archetypal opened successful 1859.

This remained the lawsuit for decades but started rising from the crook of the century, with a accelerated summation from the 1970s.

Currently much women than men enactment arsenic doctors successful Scotland and Northern Ireland, with less pistillate doctors successful England and Wales, the GMC said.

The aesculapian specialties with the astir women doctors are obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatrics. Surgery, ophthalmology and exigency medicine person the slightest women.

The GMC said determination are besides much pistillate GPs successful the UK, with 57.7% of the workforce made up of pistillate doctors.

Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, chairwoman of the GMC and a advisor ophthalmologist, said the demographics of the aesculapian workforce are "rapidly changing, and that diverseness volition payment patients".

She continued: "But women grooming for careers successful medicine proceed to look challenges that indispensable beryllium acknowledged and tackled.

"And for those women already moving arsenic doctors determination is inactive enactment to bash to make supportive and inclusive workplaces, and to guarantee they person entree to progression opportunities, including enactment roles, truthful that they tin person agelong and fulfilling careers successful medicine."

Figures from the GMC's grooming survey astir favoritism successful the workplace recovered 9% of pistillate respondents reported unwelcome intersexual comments, oregon advances causing embarrassment, distress oregon offence, compared with conscionable 4% of men.

Dr Latifa Patel, chairwoman of the British Medical Association typical body, called the improvement a "significant milestone for the assemblage and for patients".

"Retaining women doctors successful the workplace, successful the NHS, and blessed and fulfilled successful their roles, indispensable beryllium a priority," she added.

Professor Scarlett McNally, president of the Medical Women's Federation and a surgeon, said: "This immense alteration should beryllium celebrated."