Experiences of menopause in the Welsh NHS workplace: a focus group study.

Background: Despite an increased desire to improve women's experiences, the evidence base around how best to support female employees experiencing the menopause is currently lacking. NHS Wales has a workforce with a significant proportion of older female workers, many of whom will experience menopause symptoms. This work aims to explore the impact of menopause symptoms on the working lives of NHS staff in Wales.

Methods: For this service improvement study, four focus groups were held between Jan 12, and March 10, 2023. Women who experienced symptoms related to menopause were invited to participate via a local women's network. 14 women with lived experience of menopause took part, with an average of three women per group. Informed consent was given by participants for this service improvement exercise. Participants worked in both clinical and non-clinical roles in the NHS in Wales. Participants were aged between 34 and 59 years. A semi-structured facilitation approach was used, with women asked to describe their menopause experience and their role in the organisation. Transcripts were analysed using the framework approach and reported using the COREQ reporting checklist.

Findings: Menopause symptom experience was multifaceted and varied and dependent on factors such as medical history, social support, and personal management strategies. All women involved in the focus groups felt that their symptoms had negatively impacted their experience. Various symptom management strategies had been used with varying levels of success. Some women were reticent to ask for support at work, despite believing the workplace response would be positive.

Interpretation: Peer support is well received by women in the workplace, but it is crucial that opportunities for peer support in the workplace are delivered in a culture where women feel they are able to step away from their core duties to attend and engage with opportunities such as Menopause Café's and lunchtime learning sessions. Further work is needed as participants in these focus groups might not be representative of the full NHS and broader workforce. Conducting focus groups entirely online might also have influenced the group dynamics.

Funding: None.