Doctor crisis means 1.3m women cannot get to see female GP

A SHORTAGE of GPs has left about 1.3 million women in England without access to a female doctor, health chiefs admitted yesterday.

The shameful figure includes thousands of older women who might feel more uncomfortable about seeing a male doctor.

NHS chiefs said the shortage has been caused by the profession being dominated historically by men, but critics say it is the latest manifestation of a crisis that leaves patients struggling to get the treatment they need.

harming

Lucy Watson, of the Patients’ Association, said last night: “The ongoing NHS workforce crisis and reduction in the number of overall GPs is harming patients in many ways.

“We know increasing numbers of GPs are now working part time and many of these will be women.

“So it is not surprising that many women are having difficulty in getting an appointment with a female GP.”

Kate Snow, 62, said she struggled to see a female doctor at Oakridge Park

Medical Centre, Milton Keynes. She said: “When you need to see a female doctor because it is going to be an intrusive examination, you need to be able to feel free to talk about what’s going on – and when that’s not available you fold into yourself.”

In Swale, Kent, three in four family doctors are male. Other areas with poor rates of female family doctors include Hull, where only one in three

GPs are women, and Lincolnshire East, where the rate is 35 per cent.

NHS England said: “Over half of family doctors are now female and three in five of the record 16,000 people training to be a GP are women which, combined with the large growth in female nurses, paramedics, physios and other general practice staff, means it has never been easier to see a female clinician if you need to.”