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New report to address barriers facing women obtaining menopause diagnosis

A cross-party group of MPs are urging the government to remove dual prescription charges for oestrogen and progesterone as part of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) nationwide, replacing it with a single charge for all women.

A cross-party group of MPs are urging the government to remove dual prescription charges for oestrogen and progesterone as part of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) nationwide, replacing it with a single charge for all women.

In a new report published today (Thursday), the Women and Equalities Committee also addresses the significant barriers women face in obtaining an initial diagnosis of menopause or perimenopause. The current postcode lottery determining access to specialist care is, say MPs, ‘unacceptable’, and necessitates a specialist menopause service in every Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The Committee also wants the government to amend the Equality Act to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic, and to include a duty for employers to provide reasonable adjustments for menopausal employees.

This is because employers’ lack of support for menopausal symptoms is pushing ‘highly skilled and experienced’ women out of work, with knock-on effects on the gender pay gap, pension gap and the number of women in senior leadership positions.

Challenging the culture on menopause for working doctors report

The British Medical Association (BMA) recently surveyed its members to understand specific challenges for doctors working through the menopause. This report looked at the experiences of doctors and areas of action which could support doctors during this time.

It listed the following as ways to support doctors through the menopause:

  1. Breaking the taboo €“ employers should take a pro-active approach to normalising the topic of menopause and spread awareness of the impact the symptoms can have on work.
  2. Access to flexible working €“ enabling doctors to work flexibly will make their symptoms more manageable and improve morale. This should be made available across all specialities, and for those in, or applying for, senior roles.
  3. Adjustments to the workplace €“ this could include improving room ventilation, easier access to toilet facilities, drinking water and rest breaks.
  4. Support for mental health and wellbeing €“ menopause can impact your mental health as well as your physical health.
  5. Developing an inclusive culture €“ including actions to address sexist and ageist behaviours in the workplace that prevent women speaking about menopause and asking for support.

Women leaving work because of menopause symptoms

The Women and Equalities Committee report says women experiencing at least one problematic menopausal symptom are 43% more likely to have left their jobs by the age of 55 than those experiencing no severe symptoms, while research by BUPA shows that 900,000 women experiencing the menopause have left work.

The average age of menopause is 51, with perimenopause often starting years earlier so this potentially affects 4.5 million women aged 50-64 currently in employment.

They say significant progress could be made to reduce the flow of women forced out of work by appointing a new Menopause Ambassador who would produce model menopause policies and disseminate good practice, in collaboration with employers, unions and other stakeholders.

The report also found that many women feel their GP is not well-equipped to properly diagnose or treat menopause. A ‘postcode lottery’ of services means that access to specialist services needed, including bone density scans, womb lining ultrasounds, access to endocrinologists and gynaecologists, is dependent on regional variation in provision.

Therefore, it recommends that Royal College of General Practitioners must make training on menopause a mandatory aspect of continuing professional development requirements for GPs. In the meantime, GPs should ensure that at least one member of their clinical staff has received specific training around menopause. By 2024, there should be a menopause specialist or specialist service in every Clinical Commissioning Group area.

Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, said: €œMenopause is inevitable. The steady haemorrhage of talented women from our workforce, however, is not. Stigma, shame and dismissive cultures can, and must, be dismantled. It is imperative that we build workplaces- and a society- which not only supports those going through the menopause, but encourages some of the most experienced and skilled workers in our economy to thrive.

“The omission of menopause as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act is no longer tenable, given that 51% of the population will experience menopause. We were shocked to hear that many women have to demonstrate their menopausal symptoms amount to a disability, to get redress. Our Committee is calling on the Government to make menopause a protected characteristic in its own right.

“We must facilitate a healthcare system which recognises and treats menopause symptoms. Too many women are dismissed when coming forward with symptoms and too many women are unable to access the care and medication they need. It is easily within the Government’s power to remove the financial and regional barriers to doing so. The inclusion of menopause as a priority area in the newly published Women’s Health Strategy is very welcome. But we must go further and faster. Menopausal women have been mocked and maligned for too long. It is time that the Government seizes the opportunity to enact change. It is time to support, and celebrate, these women.”

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