Jane Nellist, Coventry Socialist Party
From being one of the last taboo subjects of women’s health, the menopause is now recognised and talked about openly. Women are demanding more support in the workplace, and recognition of what can be debilitating symptoms during the menopause transition.
Trade unions have been fighting for more support for women in the workplace on many issues for years, including domestic violence and childcare. Socialist Party members in the National Union of Teachers, now the National Education Union, spearheaded the campaign for schools to have policies which recognise and support those going through the menopause. This has been taken up by the Trades Union Congress and many unions. But funding for services is critical in making this a reality.
NHS England has published new guidance, ‘Supporting our NHS people through menopause’. This is a crucial tool for trade unions in the NHS and it is to be welcomed. In a workforce of over 1.3 million people, 1 million of these are women, which equates to over 75% of the entire workforce. Women between the ages of 45 and 54 alone make up a fifth of all NHS employees, and could be experiencing menopausal symptoms. We need to retain as many health-care staff as we can, but guidance alone will not solve the problem.
Unfortunately, there is still a trend of targeting women as they go through the menopause with sickness absence procedures and capability proceedings. Women are being forced out of their jobs, to the detriment of their health and wellbeing, living standards, and future pension.
The support that is outlined in the guidance is crucial to retain staff, but will only be effective if trade unions ensure it is enacted and staff feel confident that they will be supported. And, importantly, the services are there to support those suffering.
For those seeking to manage menopause symptoms with medication, they first have to try to get an appointment with a GP, and then afford the cost of the prescription. A healthy diet is ruled out too for low-paid NHS workers having to resort to food banks or cut back on food in increasing numbers.
Flexible working is flagged up in the guidance as an option. For some, a temporary change in working patterns may be appropriate. But for many, a reduction in wages just adds even more pressures when you still have to pay your rent.
Years of underfunding and privatisation have left the NHS in no fit state to adequately deal with the demands that it faces. A massive injection of money is urgently needed to not only provide the services that all of us need, but also support those who work in the NHS with better pay, reduced hours of work without loss of pay, properly staffed services and workplace rights with strong trade unions that cannot be undermined.
- Jane is a former National Union of Teachers executive committee member and is President of Coventry Trades Union Council