More women doctors than men in Britain for first time

For the first time ever there are more women doctors than men in the UK, new figures show.

- RACHEL CLUN

Data from the medical regulator shows that as of the end of February, there were 164,440 women registered with a licence to practice, compared to 164,195 men, meaning just over half (50.04 per cent) of all doctors in the UK are women.

Leading doctors say it is a significant milestone but insist more must be done to improve training programmes and leadership pathways to improve women’s careers, which will ultimately benefit patients.

Dr Latifa Patel, chair of the British Medical Association representative body, said the public needs to appreciate that the days of only men being doctors are in the past. “Now, it’s more likely in the NHS that you will see a woman doctor than a man,” she said.

Across the four UK countries, the General Medical Council (GMC) figures showed there were more women than men working as doctors in Scotland and Northern Ireland. While England and Wales had fewer women, the GMC expects both countries to reach parity soon.