The NHS is facing a huge burden from female doctors who will want to have children and only work part-time, an MP claimed today.
Tory Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) said that “in the normal course of events” the 70% of medical students who are women will want to marry, start families and then go part-time.
The qualified lawyer said this puts a strain on the NHS and creates a “tremendous burden” in training female doctors who will not end up working full-time hours.
Health minister Anna Soubry said Miss McIntosh made an important point about the “unintended consequences” of the large number of women who are training to be doctors.
In a Westminster Hall debate on the 111 NHS advice line, Miss McIntosh said: “It’s a controversial thing to say, but perhaps I as a woman can say this 70% of medical students currently are women and they are very well educated and very well qualified.
“When they go into practice and then in the normal course of events will marry and have children, they often want to go part-time and it is obviously a tremendous burden training what effectively might be two GPs working part-time where they are ladies.
“And I think that is something that is going to put a huge burden on the health service.”
Ms Soubry replied: “Could I just say very quickly you make a very important point when you talk about, rightly, the good number of women who are training to be doctors but the unintended consequences.”