Accelerating Action on Equality on International Women’s Day – 8 March 2025

In the run up to International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March the day it was interesting to note data from the General Medical Council suggesting that female doctors outnumber male doctors for the first time in the UK.

One of the driving factors has been more women joining UK medical schools. Since 2018/19, there have been more female than male medical students in all four UK countries. In 2023/24 the UK medical student intake was 60% female, and in Northern Ireland even higher at 72%.

As a Primary Care Collaborative, we are fortunate to have strong female leaders in the GPs and Optometrists that make up our Board and who bring a different perspective to discussions, always with honesty and passion.

One of my reflections on IWD is that there is a big opportunity to enhance the healthcare that women need and make a real difference to the health of the communities in our region.

Lots of work is underway on this in the North East and North Cumbria ICS, as evidenced by the energy and enthusiasm in the room at annual Women’s Health conferences held in the region. I have seen fantastic innovation around menopause services for example, with the creation of Menopause Cafés where women can ‘drop in’ and feel listened to in a safe space.

My own team experienced first-hand the devastating impact of the breast cancer diagnosis of one of our colleagues last year, and we saw the NHS at its best in the care provided by her GP practice and hospital specialists. That’s why we are pleased to mark the occasion by encouraging everyone to celebrate the day and promote this year’s theme which is Accelerate Action.

The theme underlines the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality, and it puts a call out for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face.

The International Women’s Day website lists several suggestions that we, as individuals, can take in our daily lives to positively impact women’s advancement. It highlights how to call out stereotypes, challenge discrimination, question bias, celebrate women’s success, and much more. There is also guidance and tips on challenging negative behaviours.

Find out more at the IWD website.

Fiona Adamson

Chief Executive, Co-Chair, NENC Primary Care Collaborative