Menopause

Ms Richardson shared her personal experience of menopause, noting that she felt lucky to have an open mother who discussed the topic. She highlighted the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, mentioning her own delay in seeking medical help due to being busy with work and not wanting to acknowledge symptoms. She emphasized the need for women over 40 suffering from long covid to also check for menopausal symptoms and mentioned the immediate positive impact HRT had on her life.

Concerned about the lack of progress in addressing menopause issues, Caroline Nokes highlighted the need for pragmatic solutions to support women experiencing symptoms. She emphasized the importance of workplace flexibility, retraining programs tailored to older women, and education on menopause for young people. Nokes also noted that some women feel compelled to keep their struggles confidential from employers. Ms Caroline Nokes suggests that the Department of Health and Social Care should consider making small funding streams available to support regional self-help and campaign groups, highlighting the importance of spreading information about menopause. The hon. Member for Romsey and Southampton North intervened, supporting the idea of small, inexpensive changes employers can make to support employees going through menopause.

The MP commended her colleague for securing the debate and highlighted that around 5.1 million women aged between 45 and 55 are affected by menopause symptoms. She raised concerns about the wrongful prescription of antidepressants and anxiety medication instead of HRT, which can exacerbate menopausal symptoms. Nichols called for better understanding and accommodation in workplaces and asked for updates on medical school training regarding menopause education.

Commended the work of the hon. Member for Swansea East in raising awareness about menopause, highlighted the need for a coordinated approach to menopause support in Northern Ireland with proper funding and joined-up services across various Departments. Raised concerns over the lack of appropriate healthcare services and long waiting lists for specialists. Mentioned issues related to workforce challenges and economic impacts due to women leaving their jobs because of inadequate workplace support for menopausal symptoms.

The MP paid tribute to the lead member for securing the debate and highlighted the inadequacies in menopause support, including healthcare professionals being ill-informed and a shortage of hormone replacement therapy. She pointed out that 41% of UK medical schools do not have mandatory menopause education on their curriculum and criticised the Government's delayed action on prescription charges which makes HRT unaffordable for many women.

Jim Shannon shared his personal experience of supporting his wife through menopause, emphasizing the need for awareness and understanding in workplaces. He highlighted the civil service's menopause strategy aimed at 24,000 Northern Ireland civil service workers and urged the government to support smaller businesses lacking HR departments.

Ms. Osamor shared her personal experience with menopause symptoms, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness about the barriers women face in accessing HRT prescriptions and addressing the disproportionate impact on black women. She highlighted issues such as the lack of recognition by healthcare professionals, the reluctance to seek help due to cultural norms, and the need for representation in media campaigns to include diverse voices. She called for legislative changes to protect women going through menopause in the workplace and proposed mandatory workplace menopause policies, awareness training, risk assessments, and flexible working rights.

The MP thanks her hon. Friend for campaigning on the menopause issue and agrees that it is not a minor condition but can severely impact every part of a woman's life, advocating for a holistic approach to support menopausal women.

The hon. Member for Canning Town and East Ham highlighted the need to support women experiencing menopause symptoms, emphasizing that it should not be a taboo subject. She discussed the importance of education and awareness, noting her own experience with HRT product shortages and the challenges faced by some women in accessing necessary treatments due to cost and societal perceptions. Suggested writing to officials to ask whether Davina McCall should become a Dame, instead of having the 'Davina McCall effect'.

Mr Bonnar emphasized the importance of understanding and discussing menopause, noting its impact on women's health and wellbeing. He highlighted that Scottish policies like abolishing prescription charges and introducing free sanitary products help address issues faced by those going through menopause. He also mentioned that 62% of women report being stigmatised at work when requesting leave or support during early menopausal years.