Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

Do you know your profession?

Last year, we published our first analysis on the medical profession.

Our second report uses GMC data from 2011 as well as data and insights from other organisations and reports to look at what has changed in the medical profession from 2010 to 2011.

Here are ten key facts from the report

  1. 1. For the first time, there were more than 100,000 female doctors, rising from 99,889 in 2010 to 104,534 in 2011. 
  2. 2. There were 41,268 medical students, 57% of whom came from the top three socioeconomic groups; 7% from the bottom three.*
  3. 3. 14,581 doctors were in the Foundation Programme, and 40,991 in specialist training. 27% of doctors in Foundation or specialist training reported that handover arrangements before night duties were informal or not in place in 2011. In 2012, this had dropped slightly to 23%.
  4. 4. 70% of doctors on the specialist register were men; 30% were women.
  5. 5. 53% of doctors on the GP register were men; 47% were women.
  6. 6. There were 3,882 doctors aged 70 years or over with a licence to practise; 592 were aged over 80.
  7. 7. More than a third of all registered doctors qualified outside the UK.
  8. 8. The number of complaints we received in 2011 rose by 23% from 2010.
  9. 9. Most complaints came from members of the public.
  10. 10. Complaints about doctors have also risen outside the UK.

*The Cabinet Office (2012) Fair Access to Professional Careers: A progress report, London, The Cabinet Office, p4

Find out more

To find out more and to read the context for our findings, you can:

Comments

1 comment

Joan Garcia Alsina (3 months ago)

In my country new registered specislist are largely women.Figures are more impressing than those shown in this report. In Spain feminization of medicine is a fact.