NHS trust announces menopause policy
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn (QEH) has launched a new policy offering menopause support to its staff.
QEH says it is the first NHS trust in the country to state that it is a menopause-friendly employer in job adverts, after which it outlines its support for employees at the point of application, and then has a clear package of support in place. This includes training and awareness for managers and staff, a network of support through volunteer menopause champions, and a regular menopause clinic to support staff going through the menopause, along with their families.
Some 77.6% of QEH’s workforce is female, and 12% of those are within the 45 to 50 age bracket. The trust says its ambition is to become a national leader in the NHS for menopause awareness, and it hopes to share its approach to inspire other organisations to follow.
Meg Mathews, menopause ambassador at the QEH, said: “I personally struggled with 32 of the 34 symptoms from crippling anxiety to night sweats, foggy brain and osteoporosis. There were some days when I just couldn’t cope, and my anxiety was so bad in the beginning that I couldn’t leave my house. I can’t imagine what it must be like for staff to experience that whilst working long shifts in a busy hospital.”