Women's experiences of menopause advice and treatment from GP practices in Solihull

This is a report by Healthwatch Solihull. The project looks at menopause support at GP practices.

Healthwatch Solihull has received feedback from numerous women expressing a lack of 
consistent advice and treatment for menopause from healthcare professionals. It was decided to 
conduct a deeper dive into this issue.

A survey was created and co-produced with experts by experience from Menopause Knowledge CIC, a non-profit organisation providing local support and offering services such as menopause support groups in Solihull. The survey was shared through social media and various stakeholders including community groups and third sector organisations. Menopause Knowledge ran a range of local community engagements to encourage women to complete the survey and to participate in recorded interviews. For the project  attended several community groups and supported people to complete this survey in person. We included 290 responses in this report. Four women took part in recorded interviews to share their experiences in more detail.

Key findings include:

• Access to consultations - people did not always feel they could get appointments or the type of appointment they wanted.
• Preference for type and gender of health practitioner - female practitioners were preferred.
• Ability to make informed choices - people did not always feel they got the right advice or their concerns taken seriously enough.

There are recommendations in this report:

• Increase awareness of menopause symptoms and encourage women to seek appointments to discuss their symptoms.
• Provide women consistency in who they see and the choice to speak with a female health practitioner.
• Enable faster access to practitioners who are confident and knowledgeable about menopause, who have up-to-date training and awareness of menopausal symptoms and treatments. 
• Ensure women can make informed choices. This requires correct information and the time to discuss treatment options. Individuals need alternative treatment options for managing symptoms where HRT is not an option.

There are follow up actions in the report. Healthwatch Solihull has started talking with NHS BSOL ICB to find out how the report will be used and what needs to be done to help local women. This includes using it to help develop and identify the gaps in menopausal services. It may also be used to inform public campaigns. 

The commissioner has responded.