For the first time in the UK, there are more female doctors than male doctors, according to the General Medical Council (GMC).
Women now make up 50.04% of the medical register, with 164,440 female doctors compared to 164,195 male doctors.
This shift is largely due to the growing number of women entering UK medical schools, where females have outnumbered males since 2018/19. When the GMC register started in 1859, there were very few female doctors, but their numbers began increasing significantly from the 1970s onward.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, more women work as doctors than in England and Wales. Fields like obstetrics, gynaecology, and paediatrics have the highest proportion of female doctors, while surgery, ophthalmology, and emergency medicine have fewer. Women also make up 57.7% of the GP workforce in the UK.
Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, GMC chair, noted that these changing demographics benefit patients but highlighted the ongoing challenges women face, including the need for more supportive work environments and better career progression opportunities.
Dr. Latifa Patel of the British Medical Association called the increase in female doctors a significant milestone, emphasizing the importance of supporting women in the NHS workforce. Professor Scarlett McNally, president of the Medical Women’s Federation, also celebrated the change as a major achievement for the profession.
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HeadlineMore women doctors than men for first time ever in UK
Short HeadlineMore women doctors than men for first time ever in UK
StandfirstFor the first time in UK history, there are more women doctors than male.
For the first time in the UK, there are more female doctors than male doctors, according to the General Medical Council (GMC).
Women now make up 50.04% of the medical register, with 164,440 female doctors compared to 164,195 male doctors.
This shift is largely due to the growing number of women entering UK medical schools, where females have outnumbered males since 2018/19. When the GMC register started in 1859, there were very few female doctors, but their numbers began increasing significantly from the 1970s onward.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, more women work as doctors than in England and Wales. Fields like obstetrics, gynaecology, and paediatrics have the highest proportion of female doctors, while surgery, ophthalmology, and emergency medicine have fewer. Women also make up 57.7% of the GP workforce in the UK.
Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, GMC chair, noted that these changing demographics benefit patients but highlighted the ongoing challenges women face, including the need for more supportive work environments and better career progression opportunities.
Dr. Latifa Patel of the British Medical Association called the increase in female doctors a significant milestone, emphasizing the importance of supporting women in the NHS workforce. Professor Scarlett McNally, president of the Medical Women’s Federation, also celebrated the change as a major achievement for the profession.
