Boost menopause help to stop exodus of female doctors, NHS warned

SurgerIeS face an exodus of female gPs unless they are given more support during the menopause, a report has warned.

One in five female doctors in the uK are aged between 45-54 – when menopause is likely to occur. This is around 10 per cent of the entire gP workforce.

They face symptoms such as anxiety, depression, poor concentration, brain fog, dizziness and insomnia while also having to care for patients. Just one in seven said they felt supported by their employers, with one in six reporting that colleagues had been dismissive of symptoms.

A fifth said they had considered early retirement as a result, with two-thirds (65 per cent) feeling they had nowhere to turn at work for health issues, according to the Medical Protection Society (MPS) survey.

experts warned the problem risked exacerbating the shortage of family doctors, which has seen numbers fall by nearly 500 since 2019, from 28,094 to 27,627. Dame Jane Dacre, the MPS’s president, said it was clear many women were ‘suffering in silence’ and needed more support.

She said: ‘It is striking that while most doctors report feeling confident in supporting and managing patients who are impacted by menopause symptoms, so many female doctors do not feel well supported at work when they are affected by these symptoms themselves.’

She added that while symptoms can vary in severity, they could be particularly challenging when working in a complex environment like healthcare.

Many are fearful mistakes could cause them to be sued, with one respondent saying ‘there is nowhere to hide as a frontline clinician if you are having an “off” day. You have got to be just as good, just as competent every day’.

Another said: ‘ The only matter where a woman can take time off for her reproductive health that is widely accepted is pregnancy – that’s the reality.’

The MPS is calling for flexible working arrangements, such as making reasonable workplace adjustments and ensuring staff take breaks or time off – without fear of an adverse effect on their career. Managers should also be trained to support staff.

Professor Dacre added: ‘If we do not de- stigmatise menopause, we may lose many skilled and passionate doctors during a time when the profession can ill afford it.’