North Cumbria's regional NHS trust has signed a pledge to 'do better; at supporting women through menopause.
The signing of the Menopause Workplace Pledge by North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) will happen on Friday, October 18, after 'making radical changes to its approach to menopause', Jacqui McBurnie, the ICB's menopause lead said.
Ms McBurnie added: "Every woman goes through the menopause, but we still need to get much better at the support and flexibility people need at this time.
"Many women experience things like low mood, fatigue, brain fog and painful muscles or joints."
She said 80 per cent of women going through menopause find that it affects them at work, while 10 per cent said they had to leave a job because of the symptoms, and that there's much the NHS can do to help.
"It's the right and fair thing to do - but three-quarters of NHS staff are women, so it's vital we don't lose their skills and experience as a result of a completely normal part of life," she said.
The ICB, which plans healthcare services for the region, committed to the pledge after signing off on a new menopause policy to support its staff better.
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Under the new policy, staff who are struggling with menopause symptoms can agree to a support plan setting out flexibilities to help them progress through the menopause well.
This could mean changing work patterns, and helping with mental health or coping strategies if concentration or memory are affected.
While the new policy is for the ICB's staff, leaders said they are keen for other employers to follow suit and are aiming to improve menopause support for patients.
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