Why do work patterns differ between men and women GPs?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in contractual commitments, job satisfaction and spouses' occupation among GP principals in NHS Scotland.


METHODS
This paper is based on data provided by a self-completion, postal questionnaire survey. The response rate was 50 per cent.


RESULTS
Males worked more hours than females and were more likely to work out-of-hours. Females reported greater job satisfaction but only when they worked fewer hours. Females earned less than males but there were no gender differences in total household income. Both genders planned to retire at 59 years. More males would delay retirement if they could work part-time. More females than males were in dual-doctor households. Male respondents in dual-doctor households were more likely to have modified their working hours or career aspirations than males in other households.


CONCLUSIONS
The number of hours worked by GPs is in part determined by the occupation/earning power of their spouse. The number of women GPs is increasing and they are likely to continue to choose to work fewer hours than their male counterparts have done in the past.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has attempted to incorporate spouse's occupation/income as a factor in the career choices of GPs in Scotland.
French
Fiona
F
NHS Education for Scotland, Aberdeen, UK. Fiona.French@nes.scot.nhs.uk
Andrew
Jane
J
Awramenko
Morag
M
Coutts
Helen
H
Leighton-Beck
Linda
L
Mollison
Jill
J
Needham
Gillian
G
Scott
Anthony
A
Walker
Kim
K
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002322:Career Mobility; D003657:Decision Making; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000145:classification*; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations / Q000145:classification*; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012179:Retirement; D012606:Scotland; D012737:Sex Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013222:State Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*