Women account for a far smaller share of surgeons in the private sector than in the NHS, new research shows.

The study, published in The Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, found that women make up 1 in 6 NHS surgeons but only 1 in 16 surgeons working privately.

Researchers Kate Hulse, a clinical research fellow in Lanarkshire, and Caitlin Brennan, a trauma and orthopaedic registrar with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, analysed workforce data from the five largest UK private hospital groups by admission numbers.

Across the NHS, women comprise 16.9% of the surgical workforce. In the private sector, 488 of 7934 surgeons — 6.2% — were women.

“Across all specialties, female representation in private practice is substantially lower than in the NHS, and in most specialties remains below NHS levels recorded as far back as 2012,” Hulse and Brennan wrote.

The private hospital groups assessed were Circle Health Group, HCA Healthcare UK, Nuffield Health, Ramsay Health Care, and Spire Healthcare.

Trauma and Neurosurgery Show Widest Gaps

The lowest proportion of women consultants was in trauma and orthopaedic surgery, where women made up just 2.2% of private consultants.

In two hospital groups — Circle and Nuffield — there were more orthopaedic surgeons named David (18 and 22, respectively) than female orthopaedic consultants (15 and 18, respectively).

Neurosurgery had the next lowest representation, with women accounting for 2.3% of private consultants. Some providers listed no women neurosurgeons.

By comparison, women account for 7.3% of NHS trauma and orthopaedic surgery consultants and 8.2% of NHS neurosurgery consultants, according to a 2022 study published in BMJ Open.

Background of Wider Gender Shifts

The findings come as women now make up more than half of UK doctors overall. General Medical Council data released in March last year showed that, for the first time, there were slightly more female than male doctors in the UK (50.04% vs 49.96%). 

Dr Latifa Patel, chair of the British Medical Association representative body, said there were “huge variations in the type of medical specialties women doctors go into.” 

She said most women doctors chose general practice or paediatrics, with relatively few opting for surgical careers. “These disparities are not acceptable for career progression, or for patient care.” Patients should be able to choose a female doctor, she added.

Independent Sector Under Scrutiny

The researchers found that the gender gap was significantly wider in the independent sector across almost every surgical specialty.

Commenting on the findings, Professor Felicity Meyer, consultant vascular surgeon and chair of Women in Surgery (WinS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “The independent sector now delivers a growing share of surgical care, yet women remain strikingly underrepresented within its surgical workforce.” 

WinS is a national initiative aimed at encouraging and supporting women pursuing surgical careers. Although the network was first formed in 1991 under a different name, a report published in the British Journal of Surgery last year found that only 45% of medical schools had active or developing WinS initiatives.

“Surgery is an immensely rewarding career, but too many barriers still shape who is able to enter, progress, and lead,” Meyer said. This was not just an issue of fairness, but one that affects the resilience, safety, and sustainability of the profession, she added. “Removing these obstacles is essential if we are to attract and support the full breadth of surgical talent that the future workforce depends on.”

Training Concerns

In October 2025, the college reported a widening gender gap in applications for surgical specialty training. The ratio of male to female applicants increased from about 1.71:1 in 2021 to 1.95:1 in 2024.

Although women were proportionately more likely to be accepted overall, acceptance rates fell in some specialties, including trauma and orthopaedics. Progress for women in surgery was “at risk of stalling,” the college warned.

The college has written to the five independent hospital groups, calling for “clear and credible action to ensure the surgical workforce in their hospitals reflects the diversity and talent of the profession.”

Exhibition Highlights Women Surgeons

The publication of the research, titled “Private Boys’ Club? Gender Imbalance in the Private Sector,” coincides with the opening of a new exhibition at the college’s Hunterian Museum celebrating female surgeons.

The exhibition features portraits of surgeons from a range of specialties, career stages, and regions across the UK. It offers an insider view of “the skill, grit, and teamwork it takes to thrive in surgery,” the college said.

Meyer, who is featured in the exhibition, said it showcases “brilliant surgical colleagues who have challenged stereotypes and stigma against women in surgery, and persevered to change lives.”

Dr Sheena Meredith is an established medical writer, editor, and consultant in healthcare communications, with extensive experience writing for medical professionals and the general public. She is qualified in medicine and in law and medical ethics.