MPs call for women to be given free menopause checks when they turn 40
- The call is one of the seven recommendations of the menopause APPG
- Other proposals also include the licensing of female-specific testosterone
Women should get free menopause checks at the age of 40 and have easier access to hormone medication, campaigners say.
All women are currently offered a mid-life MOT to screen for certain health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
Now cross-party MPs and peers are calling for the ‘discussion and diagnosis’ of menopause to be integrated as part of the research.
It is one of seven recommendations from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on menopause ahead of the next general election.
The ‘Manifesto for Menopause’ also includes calls for a national hormone replacement therapy (HRT) form, which would allow doctors and pharmacists to prescribe any approved medicines instead of the current ‘postcode lottery’ of treatments.
Cross-party MPs and peers are calling for the ‘discussion and diagnosis’ of menopause to be integrated as part of the research. It is one of seven recommendations from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on menopause ahead of the next general election. The ‘Manifesto for Menopause’ also includes calls for a national hormone replacement therapy (HRT) form, which would allow doctors and pharmacists to prescribe any approved medicines instead of the current ‘postcode lottery’ of treatments.
They said GPs should be encouraged to diagnose menopause, and that more should be done to ensure medical professionals feel ‘equipped and empowered’ to prescribe all types of HRT.
Large companies with more than 250 employees should be forced to implement menopause action plans, she added.
Other reforms include licensing female-specific testosterone, increasing funding for menopause research, and reviewing and improving specialized care delivery.
It follows a Daily Mail campaign launched last year, which called for more women to be made aware of the symptoms and treatment options.
Less than a month after the launch of the campaign, the government announced a Serious Shortages Protocol, making it easier for pharmacists to replace treatments.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has also made the decision to make a certain form of HRT available without a prescription in a landmark move in Britain, and earlier this year a program came into force that will help menopausal women save over £200 per year. year.
Carolyn Harris, Labor MP for Swansea and chair of the APPG on Menopause, said: ‘I’m proud of how far we’ve come since we launched the menopause revolution two years ago.
‘The tireless efforts of so many great campaigners has put menopause firmly on the political agenda.
‘While there have been some major successes, such as reducing the cost of prescribing HRT, we still have many obstacles to overcome to ensure women suffering through the menopause get the support they deserve.
‘Day in day out I hear stories of women who can’t get a diagnosis from their GP, who can’t get HRT due to a lack of supply, who have quit their jobs due to a lack of support, or who simply don’t know where to turn for assistance.
‘With elections expected next year, we are calling on all political parties to commit to these reforms in their own election manifestos and change the way menopause is treated by the next government.
‘This cannot continue and the time for action is now.’
New research shows that almost a quarter of women have considered quitting their job due to the impact of menopausal symptoms at work.
Results from a survey of 2,000 women in Britain, carried out by Simplyhealth, show that the workforce could lose millions of female workers unless more is done to support women.