Under new guidance, and in a call to help “break the stigma”, NHS England will offer menopausal women on its staff the option to work flexible hours and improved conditions, including cooler uniforms, reports The Guardian.
Launching the first national NHS guidance on menopause, the NHS England chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, has urged other companies to follow suit, saying many employees were “silently suffering” and either too embarrassed to broach the subject or experienced a “lack of support” when they did.
No one should feel their only option is to “turn their back on their career” over menopausal symptoms, she added. “It’s our responsibility as leaders to ensure this doesn’t happen any longer.”
Pritchard said she wanted to make sure anyone working in the NHS should have access to the right support “to stay and thrive at work” during the menopause.
The guidance aims to boost awareness as well as support the introduction of practical measures, like flexible working patterns – including lighter duties, fans to make temperatures more comfortable, cooler uniforms and staff training.
“Our guidance has been intentionally designed to be transferable to other workplaces too, so I hope organisations and women beyond the NHS can also benefit,” she said.
“The NHS is the biggest employer of women in the country – 1m work for the NHS and up to 260 000 could be approaching or going through menopause, and for many, this can be a difficult transition,” she added.
With about 130 000 vacancies, retaining staff will be a “key part of our future workforce plan” to help with the “challenges ahead for the NHS”, she said.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Lawmakers call for NHS to offer free menopause checks
Britain launches ‘menopause taskforce’ to tackle workplace taboos
UK equality laws could be changed to protect women in menopause
Rise in menopause cases before UK employment tribunals