Majority of UK doctors soon likely to be women – GMC

The workforce was close to reaching ‘parity’ between male and female doctors, a new report by the General Medical Council said.

A recent report by the General Medical Council (GMC) indicates that women may soon outnumber men in the UK medical workforce.

Currently, women make up 49% of licensed doctors, with 52% of new joiners in 2023 being women and 54% of those leaving being men. Wales saw the highest growth in female doctors at 26%, followed by England at 23%, Northern Ireland at 18%, and Scotland at 14%. Women accounted for 60% of medical student intake in 2023.

The report highlights the need to address discrimination and provide equal opportunities for all doctors. The number of licensed doctors grew by 6% from 2022 to 2023, driven by joiners from abroad.

However, there is concern about the lack of training and support for locally employed doctors, which could affect patient care. The GMC calls for improved training to avoid undervaluing these doctors and ensure good patient care.

Charlie Massey, chief executive of the GMC, said:

“Locally employed doctors have a lot to offer our health services. But too often they find themselves in roles without proper access to the education and training they need to develop their skills.

“Without changing the way we think about training, the UK risks sleepwalking into a situation where these doctors are overlooked and undervalued, to the detriment of good patient care.”

Responding to the report, Suzie Bailey, director of leadership and organisational development at think tank The King’s Fund, said:

“As patients still struggle to access appointments and with the waiting list for planned hospital care standing at 7.6 million, it is encouraging that the number of doctors on the register has been growing at the fastest speed in the past decade.

“It is also clear from this new data that hiring new doctors on its own is not enough, there needs to be adequate training and support in place, all of which can be in short supply in a stretched healthcare system.”

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