CESSATION, an East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust research study, aimed to identify the current menopause guidance offered by UK ambulance services; understand the impacts of the menopause on UK female ambulance staff; and identify service interventions that may best support staff during the menopause transition.
Preliminary findings:
- UK ambulance services vary in their provision of either a Menopause Policy or Guidance, as well as their offering of organisation, manager and staff menopause-related education, wellbeing, practical support and absence management guidance.
- All 12 eligible ambulance services participated in the UK-wide CESSATION survey and more than 1900 responses were received. The majority of survey participants were female, aged 45 – 54 years, either in the peri-menopause or menopause phase of the menopause transition, and worked in emergency operational service delivery with a shift-based work pattern.
- Participants’ menopause symptoms were numerous and varied, and often individuals were not prepared for their symptoms and/or their severity. Tiredness or low energy levels, difficulty sleeping, night sweats, mood changes (including anxiety and depression), hot flushes and memory/concentration problems were the six most severely experienced.
- Various self-care strategies and professional menopause support services, in particular General Practitioners, were sought by participants to support their menopause transition experience.
- The impacts of menopause symptoms were wide-reaching: detrimental effects on working lives and personal wellbeing were noted. Despite this, only a minority of participants reported feeling supported in the workplace.
- Further insight of participant experiences was provided by numerous additional free-text comments, the themes of which were: impact of work role; awareness of preparedness for menopause transition; personal impact of symptoms; desired support; appropriate sickness and menopause policy; managerial development; compassion and dignity; impact of working environment; personal and patient safety; and lack of choice. Further exploration of these findings is underway utilising semi-structured research interviews involving twenty-two study participants.
- Exploring the experiences and menopause transition knowledge of managers from one ambulance service (CESSATION-EEAST survey) revealed limited menopause training completion and menopause policy awareness. In addition, these survey participants reported varying comfort levels for managing menopausal female staff and variable knowledge regarding menopausal female work and health concerns. Their main managerial concerns were staff personal health and wellbeing, sickness management and lack of Trust guidance.
- Managerial participants also provided additional free-text comments with the following themes: access to guidance to inform management and staff; training and awareness of symptoms; suggested workplace adjustments; negative perception of menopausal women; provision of specialist information to female staff; and male manager focus.
Preliminary recommendations:
- The CESSATION findings to be made available throughout all UK ambulance services.
- Dissemination of study findings via suitable conferences and publications.
- Menopause transition awareness to be raised in all UK ambulance services, with signposting to evidenced advice.
- Service developments, including uniform redesign, to take into consideration study findings.
- An expert/stakeholder panel to be convened to consider these findings and suggestions to determine possible solutions for evaluation in future service development and/or research activity.
CESSATION received funding from the College of Paramedics (Small Grant Award) and UEA Health and Social Care Partners.
Published 19th July 2022
