Our thanks to Nigel for this. As always, a complete refusal to explain that the GP shortage is the direct result of most GPs being women, and 70% of medical students being women. The only library image of a GP in the piece is of one of a white middle-aged man. Few GPs today are white middle-aged men, and the number is shrinking with every year.

Nigel writes:

The Liberal Democrats trumpeting the story the DM has championed, the less than dedicated response of the GP services to our need for NHS care in the midst of unprecedented demand. But of course the data also shows that far from a very recent “blip” this is simply the continuation of a trend. Of course no one dares look just a bit closer at why exactly the very lucrative and high social status job has become a part-time profession. Could part of the reason be that at it has become more female it has become less dedicated and more devoted to “family friendly” practices? Indeed such things are deemed essential to “women’s rights” even though for essential services what is actually needed is as much availability of service as possible.

As being a General Practitioner has increasingly become a part-time job with easy hours it is hardly surprising it is where women medics head, given the well-researched propensity for women to choose such jobs. Combine this with the higher “attrition” in medical training and professions as women leave to find less stress and even more regular hours, or simply stay at home (somewhat easy if you marry a male GP on well over £100k a year) and you have a pattern common in public services. A service that all but shuts down in school holidays, cannot be accessed outside “office hours” and is only fully operational while the schools are open. And to cap it all, although enjoying all the security and perks of being in public service GPs are supposedly private contractors and can use some of their “time off” to earn extra as “locums” and private practice. I do not doubt this all has a corrosive effect on the more dedicated male GPs exhibiting that “toxic” tendency to do long hours, because you’d be a “mug” to work hard to cover the easy choices of your female co-workers.

Do you think the media will ever report that the demise of the “family doctor” is caused by the rise of the female GP?

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