Responding to figures from the GMC that show that there are more women doctors than men, and more doctors from ethnic minority backgrounds than white doctors working in the UK Professor Rowan Parks, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh said:
“We welcome this historic moment as a more representative workforce will only enhance patient care and help address some of the serious issues of misogyny and racial bias within the medical professions we have sadly seen.
“However, we acknowledge that surgery remains a male dominated profession. Women account for only a third of UK surgeons so as a Royal College we are actively seeking to understand and address the many barriers that prevent more women seeking and pursuing a surgical career.
“We hope that the UK government’s recently announced reviews of medical training and how resident doctors are rotated around different locations during their training period will help address some of these barriers. But as nearly one in three female NHS surgeons have been sexually assaulted, it is a sad fact that surgery has been blighted by sexism, misogyny and criminal behaviours.
“Similarly, diversity does not by itself equate to inclusivity. Surgeons from ethnic minorities are less likely to be promoted and have poorer ARCP outcomes. There is also significant under-representation of Black surgeons, particularly those from a Black British background.
“As a professional body, we are committed to address these issues. For instance, our Hunter-Doing Women in Surgery Group is working to provide active support to women in surgery throughout their careers through peer support, mentorship, and encouraging women into leadership positions.
"Good surgical care requires supportive and collaborative surgical teams, so we will work within the College and with external stakeholders to further improve the surgical workforce and workplace.”