Ignorance about the menopause should not be allowed to place women's lives in danger - Greg Wright

There were reports of women being forced to share their prescriptions, with some feeling suicidal due to the debilitating symptoms of the menopause.

Recent figures suggest the number of HRT prescriptions in the UK has more than doubled in the last five years but stocks are running low, with one manufacturer of a commonly-used hormone replacement gel reporting supply problems.

Mr Javid said he was “determined” to make sure supplies were meeting the high demand and would use lessons learned in the vaccine rollout.

There is also troubling data which indicates that many employers do not display empathy towards menopausal women.

The word ‘menopause’ was mentioned 207 times in tribunal documents in 2021, an increase of 75% on the 118 mentions in 2020, according to a study from the Menopause Experts Group.

At the heart of many of these cases lies a simple inability to understand the issues faced by women who are undergoing the menopause.

One employment tribunal in Hull, for example, heard how a factory worker was reprimanded for undoing her top button, despite having told her employer she suffered hot flushes due to the menopause.

To quote, Dee Murray, the founder and CEO at the Menopause Experts Group: “Employers are starting to get the message about menopause in the workplace, but the growing number of employment tribunals in this area show that there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

Fawcett Society chief executive Jemima Olchawski said: “Menopausal women are experiencing unnecessary misery and it’s a national scandal.

“The Government needs to make urgent changes, from requiring employers to have menopause action plans, to ensuring that GPs are adequately trained to spot menopause symptoms.”

Labour MP Carolyn Harris, co-chair of the UK menopause taskforce, said she welcomed the Secretary of State’s intervention, but added: “There are a lot of women relying on him to improve the current situation. We should never have been in this position.”

Last October, the Government committed to lowering the cost of HRT, with women saving £205 each year by avoiding paying for repeat prescriptions. But Ms Harris said the change would not come in until 2023.

She also told the BBC that “women take their own lives out of the anger and the frustration” which is caused by being denied medication.

The shortages come after months of campaigning for greater awareness and increased support for women experiencing the menopause.

Those speaking out have included TV presenter and model Penny Lancaster as well as Davina McCall, who both joined MPs outside Parliament to protest against prescription charges for HRT in October 2021.

The Women and Equality Committee is soon to report back on the findings of its Menopause And The Workplace inquiry and the committee could well push for a requirement that all employers have a menopause policy or a code of conduct, and increase penalties for firms that do not comply.

In recent years, giant strides have been made after employers adopted an enlightened approach to a wide range of health issues, including mental health.

The lack of awareness about the menopause places women’s health in danger and is destroying countless careers that should have been allowed to flourish. Education about the menopause should be compulsory in every workplace.

Although employers may not be able to reduce the shortage of HRT, compassion, patience and understanding can make a world of difference.

Being kind really makes perfect business sense.