Call for action on menopause health care

The Scottish Government have been urged to end the “postcode lottery” in menopause care to ensure all Scottish women receive the health support they need.

Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Monica Lennon said she had written to health secretary Jeane Freeman, asking the government to take urgent action to give women better access to menopause care.

In a Holyrood debate on the menopause, she said only five of Scotland’ s 14 regional health boards have a dedicated me nopause clinic, while there is no standardised form of recording data on menopause care in Scotland, either at clinics or by GPS.

Symptoms of the menopause can range from tiredness, to clumsiness, to hot flushes and night sweats, palpitations, low mood, joint pain and anxiety. They can start a few months or years before a woman stops menstruating and around one in ten women experience symptoms for up to 12 years, and sometimes longer.

“Women will experience menopause differently but it’s a fact of life and, wherever you live in Scotland, you should have fast access to advice and treatment if you need it ,” said Ms Lennon .“Only five health boards offer a dedicated menopause clinic.”