Background: Over the last two decades, many countries have reported an increased percentage of females in the general practice workforce. Considering the importance of general practice workforce planning, it is necessary to investigate the current working patterns of female GPs.
Aim: To describe the female GP workforce in Ireland and to investigate factors that may impact their long-term commitment to general practice.
Design & setting: Descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted with female GPs in Ireland.
Method: A 'Membership survey' was emailed to 1985 female GPs in November 2021. In total 345 female GPs responded, providing a response rate of 17.4%.
Results: The study revealed that a majority of the female GP workforce in Ireland worked in the position of the GP principal (62.3%), but also provided OOH services (65%), and undertook caring responsibilities (85%). In total 52% of the respondents disclosed having at least one paid additional role, mainly in the field of academia and teaching. Most female GPs worked less than eight clinical sessions a week (80.5%). GPs who held GMS contracts (73.0%) were significantly more likely to work more clinical sessions a week and had been longer employed in general practices (>5 years), in comparison with GPs who do not have GMS contracts.
Conclusion: Irish female GPs demonstrated a significant adjustment of their working patterns, including reducing the number of clinical sessions and balancing between additional roles, to ensure their long-term commitment to general practice. Current practices and vision on GP roles must be recognised and supported to allow for adequate workforce planning.
Keywords: Career patterns; Female GPs’; General Practice.
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