Please ensure that GPs in NHS Surrey Heartlands CCG complete training in the Menopause

Menopause affects half of all patients GPs see on a day to day basis but sadly many women do not receive the support they so desperately need. 1 out of 4 women experience debilitating symptoms that affect their quality of life, with many giving up work or reducing their hours in order to cope. 50% of menopausal women say they feel depressed and are often misdiagnosed and given antidepressants. One third of women visiting their GP are not even made aware of HRT. Many women are incorrectly denied HRT due to existing or family health concerns. Many women are fearful of asking for HRT because of the widespread belief that it causes breast cancer, thanks to the headlines from 2002 when a flawed study incorrectly stated there was a link. Despite the study being discredited, this belief has continued to this day. As a result of these misunderstandings, only 1 in 10 women choose to use HRT.

My experience of menopause started around 10 years ago and I consider myself to be in the 25% of women who experience debilitating symptoms that can change lives. I have experienced a myriad of symptoms, many of which I consulted various GPs about, resulting in x rays, ultrasounds, heart monitors and antidepressants. Not once was menopause mentioned. Despite my request for HRT to help with hot flushes and night sweats, I was advised not to use it because of the increased risk of breast cancer. Two years ago my symptoms became considerably worse, so again I sought HRT, this time successfully, but my GP was unfamiliar with the up to date products I should have been prescribed and gave incorrect information. I ended up having to pay a private Menopause Specialist for correct dosages. I have since developed a chronic condition related to menopause that so far no GP has been able to help me with. The right advice early on would have made a huge difference, but sadly it wasn’t forthcoming. Instead, it has taken many expensive appointments with private specialists to try and improve my health and I am still struggling. Luckily, I can afford to pay for expertise but many women do not have this financial luxury. Instead, they continue to suffer having been refused HRT by their NHS doctor, and have nowhere else to turn for help. My struggle has lasted about 10 years so far, but how much misery could have been avoided if even one of my GPs was fully up to date on research, symptoms and treatment? Unfortunately, experiences such as mine are all too common, and something needs to change.

The frustrating thing is that HRT is so beneficial and can protect women from many chronic conditions including dementia, heart disease, Alzheimers, colon cancer and osteoporosis. Surely we should be encouraging all women to think about using it to help them live longer, healthier lives? The financial savings to the state would be huge in terms of reduced health care costs. Employers would also benefit from having highly skilled women stay in their workforce instead of losing them as they struggle to cope with their symptoms. And of course the benefits to the women themselves and their families would be huge. Menopause affects everyone.

On 13 May 2021 I was shocked to read that a survey of 33 university medical degrees, carried out by menopause campaigner Diane Danzebrink, revealed that 41% of the courses did not have any menopause education on the curriculum. How many medical students are therefore leaving without any knowledge of the menopause at all? Some will go on to specialise in general practice where I believe the menopause module of their training is voluntary. How many newly qualified GPs take up positions in the community, in our area, with no knowledge or training whatsoever? I find it staggering in this day and age that the needs of women are deemed so unimportant that doctors are not required to complete training on the one thing that affects all women. I’m sure if something affected the health and well being of every single man in the population that a solution would have been found long ago.

We are therefore asking you to do everything in your power to improve the training given to our GPs. A woman needs to be able to go to her GP and receive up to date and accurate information about the menopause, its symptoms and how it can be managed, in order to improve the quality of her life and long term health.

The Menopause Charity has just been launched and its goal is to provide up to date information to women, GPs and other health practitioners. For the next year they are giving away one free place per GP practice on an accredited professional development course called, ‘Confidence in the Menopause’. I urge you to request that all GP practices take full advantage of this offer to ensure that there is at least one menopause specialist in every practice as soon as possible, and that other GPs are required to complete the training over the course of the year. This would be an excellent step forward which would impact positively on all the women within your region and on your budgets. For more information the link is below.

https://www.themenopausecharity.org/training/

Thank you so much for reading this. We hope you agree that the training of our GPs in this very important and much neglected area needs to be addressed.

Cate O’Neill