The RCP has responded to the independent review into gender pay gaps in medicine in England.
The Independent Review into Gender Pay Gaps in Medicine in England was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2017. It is the largest and most comprehensive review of its kind ever completed in the public sector.
Chaired by former RCP President Professor Dame Jane Dacre and led by Professor Carol Woodhams, the review takes a comprehensive approach to understanding the structural and cultural barriers affecting the female medical workforce.
Commenting on the review's findings, Professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians said: “It is astounding that in this day and age there continues to be such a huge gender pay gap in medicine. I commend my predecessor, Professor Dame Jane Dacre, for being unflinching in her leadership of this review.
“Women are still more likely to work less than full time, but the proportion of men doing so is also growing. What is clear is that the growing number of women in our profession are not being treated equally. They, like all clinicians, deserve to be paid fairly for the work they do – but especially this year, where healthcare staff have been put through the wringer and worked incredibly hard to keep us all as safe and healthy as possible.
“We all need to have confidence in the fairness of the system if we are to retain current doctors and attract new ones. Given the well-established shortage of medical staff, addressing the gender pay gap must be seen as the priority that it is.
“We look forward to the implementation panel being established quickly and system-wide action as soon as possible that removes the gender pay gap in medicine for good.”
