How can we support patients through the menopause if the NHS can’t support staff?

Health services risk losing experienced nurses because of a failure to acknowledge symptoms

Women aged 45 to 55, the core menopausal years, form the largest single age group on the nursing register.

Despite the large numbers of menopausal women in the workforce, managing the menopause at work is no easy feat. A recent study of 1,000 women aged over 50 by Health & Her, an online resource that provides advice on menopause from nurses, GPs and gynaecologists, suggests that 14 million working days may be lost due to the menopause each year.

Fewer than 1% of the women affected by symptoms said they felt comfortable talking to their employer about the menopause. Indeed, they were more likely to leave their jobs than do so, it found.

Lack of support for staff at work

For nurses, the challenges can