Menopausal women are left waiting 18 months to see a specialist

2023-01-15

Menopausal women who are left waiting 18 months to see a specialist are being ‘abandoned’ by the NHS, say MPs

GPs struggling to cope with surge of women seeking help after seeing TV shows
Tory MP Caroline Nokes said that women are waiting until 2024 to see specialist
Labour’s Carolyn Harris claimed GPs are not trained to spot reason for symptoms

The NHS has been accused of ‘abandoning’ menopausal women – many of whom are waiting up to 18 months to see a specialist.

MPs and experts blamed the backlog on GPs who are unable to cope with a surge in women seeking help after watching TV shows on the menopause presented by celebrities such as Davina McCall.

Tory MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, said that women in her Hampshire constituency had been told they would have to wait until summer 2024 for a specialist.

And Labour’s Carolyn Harris of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause, said: ‘Women are being abandoned and not getting the service they need.’ She claimed GPs are not trained to spot the reason for symptoms caused by what is sometimes known as ‘the change’.

MPs and experts blamed the backlog on GPs who are unable to cope with a surge in women seeking help after watching TV shows on the menopause

There are 13 million menopausal women in the UK, but fewer than 300 specialists. Most menopausal women will not need to see one, with GPs usually prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to alleviate symptoms including hot flushes and night sweats.

However, tens of thousands have conditions, including breast cancer, which make HRT unsuitable – and so need to consult a specialist.

Medics have dubbed the surge in enquiries, following Ms McCall’s first programme in 2021, the ‘Davina effect’.

Dr Laila Kaikavoosi, founder of the Online Menopause Centre, said: ‘We had the highest number of enquiries we have ever had. The awareness is great, but some of the women have nowhere to go.’

An NHS spokesman said: ‘The NHS is committed to improving the experiences of menopausal women, and is developing a programme to help ensure they receive the right care more quickly.’

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