World Menopause Day: One in 10 women stop work because of the menopause, say NHS bosses

NHS North East and North Cumbra ICB menopause lead Jackie McBurnie
-Credit: (Image: NHS)


One in ten women going through the menopause find it debilitating enough that it forces them to stop work, according to NHS bosses. On World Menopause Day, the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board has signed up to the "menopause workplace pledge" and is making "radical changes" to how it approaches the issue.

The pledge means employers should recognise how the menopause can be an issue in the workplace, talk openly and positively about it, and actively support employees affected. Jacquie McBurnie, who leads the ICB's menopause work, cited the alarming statistics that show the impact on many women.

She said: "Every woman goes through the menopause, but we still need to get much better at the support and flexibility people need at this time. Many women experience things like low mood, fatigue, brain fog and painful muscles or joints. 80% of women going through the menopause find that it affects them at work.

"One woman in ten says they have had to leave a job because of their symptoms. But there is so much we can do to help. It's the right and fair thing to do - but three-quarters of NHS staff are women, so it's vital we don't lose their skills and experience as a result of a completely normal part of life."

The ICB has adopted a new menopause policy which sets out how NHS staff can be supported through flexible working changes if necessary to make continuing to work easier. The policy means women affected could also receive support with their mental health or coping stategies if there is an impact on concentration or memory.

Samantha Allen, the ICB's chief executive, said: "The menopause workplace pledge doesn't mean we've got everything sorted – there's more to do, and we need to keep listening, learning and improving. We're hoping we can join forces with other organisations – across the NHS, the public sector and private companies to improve workplace support for women.

"We know there's more to do for our patients as well. There's some great services for menopause and women's health, but we want every area to get better and make sure that women in more deprived areas don't miss out on important services like HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) just because of where they live."

This comes amid big increases in the number of women receiving HRT on the NHS - in the 2023-2024 financial year, 458,479 individual patients in the North East and North Cumbria area received prescriptions of the treatment, that's a huge rise in a decade, from 123,258 in 2015-2016.

Health organisations such as the Nuffield Trust have put this rise down to increases in awareness about the benefits of HRT, more positive discussions about the menopause, and changes to prescription payment options.