Courage is contagious: we need to talk about the domestic abuse experienced by female doctors in the NHS

Domestic abuse affects one in four women,1 but little is known about domestic abuse among doctors. As we take strides to tackle inequalities within the NHS, we cannot resolve the problem of gender inequality until we acknowledge how it manifests in the abhorrent form of domestic abuse.The NHS is one of the largest employers of women in the world.234 Research suggests that healthcare professionals, such as female nurses, are three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than the average person in the United Kingdom.5 A UK 10 year femicide census showed that “healthcare professional” was one of the most common occupations of victims.6It has been suggested that traits often found in healthcare professionals, such as empathy and compassion, may increase vulnerability to abuse.7 Being “resilient,” as required in medical roles, can result in people tolerating abusive relationships for longer.8 Yet research into domestic abuse among doctors has been largely…
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