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English Because gender traditionally has been perceived as the preserve of women, gendercomparative research in access to healthcare has been rare. We report a critical interpretive synthesis of the relevant literature, and present the outline of a theoretically grounded framework for understanding gender issues in access to healthcare in the UK. Our synthesis indicates access appears often to be relative, variable and contingent upon many factors and circumstances, one of which is gender. Locating our analysis in the context of the new statutory Gender Equality Duty, we conclude that gender equality in healthcare is best fostered through what we term ‘critical gender awareness’.