Health Secretary determined to tackle gender pay gap in medicine

In a modern NHS, is it acceptable that male doctors are paid more than £10,000 above the earnings of their female counterparts?

Absolutely not, according to Jeremy Hunt.  The Health and Social Care Secretary has established an independent review chaired by a leading doctor, Professor Jane Dacre to look into redressing the balance.  Chief amongst the remit of the review will be an examination of the obstacles that stand in the way of female doctors progressing their career in the NHS as compared with male doctors. 

Key aspects of the UK's family friendly policies and their implementation in the NHS will be scrutinised. These include access to flexible working, working patterns, shared parental leave and care arrangements.

This is a timely review, hard on the heels of the requirement for public and private employers with more than 250 staff to publish their gender pay gap figures.

Hunt said: “The NHS holds a unique position in both British and global society as a shining beacon of equality among all, and so it is unacceptable that 70 years from its creation its own staff still face gender inequality.

“Even today, there remains a 15% gap between the pay of our male and female doctors – this has no place in a modern employer or the NHS and I’m determined to eliminate this gap.”