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Menopause leave: nurses’ hopes for time-off trial dashed

Structured leave from work could have helped many nurses and improved retention of an experienced group in the NHS workforce, argues menopause nurse
Pink wooden blocks lined up to spell the word 'menopause'

Structured leave from work could have helped many nurses and improved retention of an experienced group in the NHS workforce, argues menopause nurse

Pink wooden blocks lined up to spell the word 'menopause'
Picture: iStock

The government’s rejection of a menopause leave trial is a disappointment for nurses and counterproductive for nurse retention, a menopause nurse practitioner said.

Diane Porterfield-Bourne told Nursing Standard giving nurses formal time off for menopause symptoms would have supported them to stay in their job, and prevented highly experienced staff from quitting.

‘It’s not just having a couple of weeks off to watch a box set, it is structured time away to sort things out and put plans in place for treatment and support at home and at work,’ she said.

‘The last thing you want is highly experienced staff leaving and this is a big problem.’

NHS is already developing menopause support for nurses, say ministers

MPs on the Commons women and equalities committee had called for a menopause leave trial in England after finding women continue to receive little support at work during menopause, forcing many to cut back their hours or even leave.

In a report last year the committee also called for menopause to be a protected characteristic. But this week ministers rejected five of the report’s 12 recommendations. They said work was already under way in the NHS to develop workplace support, referring to NHS England’s recently published national menopause guidance. And special leave would be 'counterproductive' to flexible working.

But Ms Porterfield-Bourne said the NHS guidance does not go far enough.

‘It’s a step in the right direction without a shadow of a doubt, but we know women will just carry on working.

‘Although there is increased flexibility… what does that mean? Does it mean you can come in an hour later or take a day off?’

She called for a standardised system that sets out how nurses can be supported to manage their symptoms and take time off when necessary.

Menopause help is needed at an individual level

Menopause specialist and chief nursing officer of Peppy Health Kathy Abernethy said the NHS is too slow to supporting nurses during menopause.

‘What the NHS hasn’t done is offer individual support, there’s a lot of corporate support and things organisations can do, but really they need to be going one step further and supporting the individual as well,’ she said.

‘We need easily accessible reasonable adjustments. My experience working on the corporate side and in the NHS is there’s just no room for reasonable adjustments in the NHS and we need to make room for that.’

RCNi webinar: Menopause in the nursing workplace

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