RCGP co-signs safety alert on menopause care

The RCGP has issued a safety alert with the British Menopause Society, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Society for Endocrinology and Royal College of Nursing’s Women’s Health Forum on menopause care.

Commenting on this, Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “The College has recently co-signed a safety alert with other members of the British Menopause Society, following our concerns about an increasing number of menopausal women being prescribed oestrogen at a dose that is higher than clinical guidelines.

"GPs take the menopause and perimenopause extremely seriously and always consider the different factors potentially affecting an individual's health and wellbeing when developing a treatment plan. HRT can effectively treat the most severe menopausal symptoms, and GPs are highly qualified to have frank and sensitive conversations with patients about its risks and benefits. "Menopause is included in the RCGP curriculum which all GP trainees need to demonstrate competency of in order to practise independently as a GP in the UK. We also undertake lifelong continuing professional development and have to demonstrate ongoing learning across the curriculum to continue to practise.

"To this end, the College has worked with partners including the British Menopause Society and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to develop educational resources for GPs on women's health. This includes resources about menopause as part of toolkits on women's health and menstrual wellbeing, e-learning resources and events, and our popular Women’s Health Online Library. We will continue to develop these and more to support GPs and other healthcare professionals deliver the best possible care for women, based on the latest evidence."

The full safety alert can be found on the British Menopause Society website.

Further information

RCGP Press office: 020 3188 7633
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editor

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.