Britain’s GPs could face legal action from patients if they fail to treat men and women equally, EMHF president Professor Ian Banks has warned.
From 6 April, when the Equality Act 2006 comes into force, GPs and primary care organisations (PCOs) across the UK will have to provide services that result in the same outcome for men and women. Failure to do so could result in judicial review.
'People are ready to go to court over this,' Professor Banks, pictured right, said. ‘In terms of health, men come off worse than women. The services provided are not as accessible as they are for women. This gender equality act works to the advantage of men.'
Patients or patient groups could apply for judicial reviews of PCO or practice policies that they claim provide unequal services or refuse to give a treatment because of gender, Professor Banks told General Practitioner magazine. ‘You have to demonstrate you are delivering your outcome in terms of equality, and you have to do this in terms of gender’.
This could mean GPs have to make their surgery opening hours more convenient for men and ensure weight loss and smoking cessation programmes are equally attractive to both sexes. GPs should also be trained to detect depression more effectively in men. Professor Banks said the duty could extend to specific treatments, such as osteoporosis drugs, that PCOs may only give to women.
