We want to ensure that our people feel supported with all aspects of their health and wellbeing. Here you will find some specific support services, tools and signposting to services that provide specialist support for Women’s Health.

West Midlands Ambulance Service Women’s Network is keen to welcome any women and allies to participate in the group. The purpose of the group is to improve and enhance women’s experience working within the organisation and to provide mentorship, support and guidance. Focusing on women’s issues as well as their health and wellbeing.

The Network currently meets virtually and is chaired by Rebecca Godfrey, who can be contacted on rebecca.godfrey@wmas.nhs.uk for details of the next meeting.

The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. Periods usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. Sometimes they can stop suddenly.

The menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51. However, around 1 in 100 women experience the menopause before 40 years of age. This is known as premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency.

Most women will experience menopausal symptoms. Some of these can be quite severe and have a significant impact on your everyday activities.

Common symptoms include:

• hot flushes
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex
• difficulty sleeping
• low mood or anxiety
• reduced sex drive (libido)
• problems with memory and concentration

Menopausal symptoms can begin months or even years before your periods stop and last around 4 years after your last period, although some women experience them for much longer.

Read more about the symptoms of the menopause or click here to access the Menopause Passport support document.

Support for the menopause – WMAS Menopause Passport

We recognise that the symptoms of menopause are very individual and can also be difficult to talk about. We have therefore introduced the use of the ‘Menopause Passport’. This is a tool to assist with starting those sensitive conversations to understand how we can support staff experiencing issues through the menopause.

This is an optional tool and can be used independently to record individuals own symptoms or in conjunction with a Manager/HR Representative as part of a welfare conversation. This will help aid a discussion to consider any support or adjustments that may be required in the workplace to be reviewed as and when symptoms change. To access the Menopause Passport, please click the image to the left.

Your GP can offer treatments and suggest lifestyle changes if you have severe menopausal symptoms that interfere with your day-to-day life, including:

• hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – tablets, skin patches, gels and implants that relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing oestrogen
• vaginal oestrogen creams, lubricants or moisturisers for vaginal dryness
• cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – a type of talking therapy that can help with low mood and anxiety
• eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly – maintaining a healthy weight and staying fit and strong can improve some menopausal symptoms

Your GP may refer you to a menopause specialist if your symptoms don’t improve after trying treatment or if you’re unable to take HRT.

Read more about treating the menopause.

The menopause is caused by a change in the balance of the body’s sex hormones, which occurs as you get older.

It happens when your ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone oestrogen and no longer release an egg each month.

Premature or early menopause can occur at any age, and in many cases, there’s no clear cause.

Sometimes it’s caused by a treatment such as surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy), some breast cancer treatments, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or it can be brought on by an underlying medical condition, such as Down’s syndrome or Addison’s disease.

Source: www.nhs.uk

If you need further support and advice, please contact your local HR Advisor or Health and Wellbeing Champion.

Karen Evans – karen.evans2@wmas.nhs.uk

Kelly Jarvis – Kelly.jarvis@wmas.nhs.uk

Lucy Albrighton – lucy.albrighton@wmas.nhs.uk

Lucy Butler – lucy.butler@wmas.nhs.uk

Melony Fox – melony.fox@wmas.nhs.uk

Michelle Round – michelle.round@wmas.nhs.uk

Natalie Bishop – natalie.bishop@wmas.nhs.uk

Rebecca Parker-Williams – rebecca.pwilliams@wmas.nhs.uk

Teresa Bednallangell – Teresa.bednallangell@wmas.nhs.uk

Tessa White – tessa.white@wmas.nhs.uk

Tracy Jones – tracy.jones@wmas.nhs.uk

Emma Bywater - emma.bywater@wmas.nhs.uk

Gemma Summers - gemma.summers@wmas.nhs.uk

We have just signed the Wellbeing of Women Menopause Workplace Pledge.

By signing the pledge we are committed as an employer to:

• recognising that the menopause can be an issue in the workplace and women need support
• talking openly, positively and respectfully about the menopause
• actively supporting and informing employees affected by the menopause

To help you to learn more about the psychological symptoms of menopause, we have published two new articles by Dr Clare Spencer – Registered Menopause Specialist, GP and Co-Founder of My Menopause Centre. Links below:

Menopause and Mood – Dr Spencer

Menopause and Cognition – Dr Spencer