2335P Gender-related challenges for oncology professionals in the UK healthcare system

Abstract

Background
Women represent an increasing proportion of the oncology workforce, reflecting broader trends in medicine. Yet, they remain underrepresented in senior academic, research, and leadership roles within the field. This raises important questions about the role of gender-related barriers in oncology. To explore this, Women for Oncology UK conducted a national survey in 2025 investigating the impact of gender on career progression and discrimination among UK oncology professionals. ...

Methods
The survey included questions on demographics, career progression, gender-related discrimination, and barriers to gender parity. It was open to oncology professionals across the UK between January and April 2025...

Results
A survey of 64 oncology professionals, 62 females, revealed significant gender-based disparities in career experiences. Among the women surveyed, 56.5% felt their gender had limited their career opportunities, and 69.4% had experienced gender-based discrimination from colleagues, 40% from male staff, 0.03% from female staff, and 25.8% from both. Discrimination extended beyond staff interactions, with 71% reporting similar treatment from patients; 25.8% cited male patients, 45.2% reported both...

Conclusions
This survey offers a snapshot of gender dynamics among oncology professionals in the UK, highlighting the urgent need for systemic change to address persistent disparities. While female representation has grown, significant challenges persist, particularly in tackling societal pressures, unconscious bias, and the lack of structural support for work-life balance. Although the sample size is limited, these findings point to wider, entrenched issues that merit further investigation through...

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Funding
Has not received any funding...

Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest...