According to a report in the British Medical Journal, the health service will need to train many more female surgeons if it is to satisfy this demand.

Recent figures revealed fewer than 3% of consultants in general surgery in England and Wales were women.

Sex preference

The report is based on a survey carried out at a breast clinic in Glasgow. Patients were given three options for a consultant surgeon - male, female, or no preference.

While the majority said they did not mind if it was a man or a woman behind the mask, almost a third said they would prefer a female surgeon.

The patients who expressed the preference made comments such as "women are easier to talk to" and "I feel less embarrassed with a woman".

None of the women questioned in the survey said they would rather have a man do their operation.

Surgical competence

The patients who expressed a preference said competence was more important than the sex of the surgeon.

The report's author Iona Reid, a senior lecturer in surgery at Glasgow University and Victoria Infirmary, said there were implications for the staffing of breast clinics whose patients were almost exclusively women.

"This study suggests that up to one third of patients may prefer to be referred to a breast clinic with a female consultant. This will be possible only when more female consultants are available."

Future change

The Royal College of Surgeons said about 12% of registrars in training were now women and many of these should go on to achieve consultant status.

The college has a special programme to support women already in the profession and to promote surgery as an option among schoolgirls and female medical students.

It is also establishing a flexible training initiative to help women combine work and family commitments.

Previous studies

The Victoria Infirmary was only able to offer the choice after the appointment of a woman consultant to run the clinic.

Most breast clinics have no female consultants, although many do have women in junior grades.