If I might introduce myself - I am Dr Judy Scrine, menopausal maniac! I fully admit I was in denial for quite a while. I put the brain fog, the burnout, the over-anxiousness, the questioning of self-worth, the thinning hair, the insomnia, down to being a clinical director and senior equine vet through a very difficult time. Covid, the recruitment and retention crisis, the ever-increasing pressure from clients… I could find plenty of excuses.

And then I suffered a life changing injury that wrested my life-long vocation and career as an equine vet away from me.  However, it wasn’t all bad.  If it had to happen at all, it happened at just the right time. I had to step away from all things practical veterinary.  It was a chance to take stock and (after a long fight) my income replacement insurance has come through allowing me to reinvent myself with the luxury of time. Looking back on the last few years in equine practice I realise my need and wish to step away from the out of hours work, to reduce my hours, to have time set aside for my management role, was not from laziness and underachievement, but hormonal. Or should I say lack of hormonal.  Unfortunately, the work pressures meant allowing me to step down in commitment was not something the Practice allowed or in fact made any attempt to accommodate. If I’ve learnt anything it is that senior management staff must be proactive here or we will continue to lose women from the veterinary workplace at just the time when they can be most valuable.

It can be very hard to be proactive in support of menopausal women. One can hardly bring up the subject and suggest to someone they might be peri- or menopausal.  That could be construed as “ageist”, especially by someone already in denial of their symptoms. It can be used as an excuse for not doing anything at all, or for anything done to be purely reactive. “Reactive” is too late. There are many things that can be done more proactively and generally, and that weren’t done for me.  For this reason, I was close to leaving anyway, had my neck injury not happened.  Signs of burnout must be carefully watched for and heeded in everyone, but particularly those who are menopausal. 

Should someone wish to reduce their hours, accommodate this, don’t pile more work on them and make them feel guilty about it. Purely practical things can be put in place as a general ongoing policy, so the menopausal person isn’t being singled out. Decent practice uniform of sensible colour (for reasons I won’t labour here!) that allows flexibility for temperature control, cooler workspace areas, and above all a very approachable and perspicacious HR person. A safe confidential space where issues such as menopause can be freely discussed without fear of judgement is a must, and the menopause sufferer mustn't feel they are admitting some sort of weakness or failing. To refuse to be generically proactive here will leave the risk of someone going bang and leaving. A loss to the veterinary world of an employee with likely many years’ experience just when they may well be most valuable. 

We need to support those millions of women, up to a third of the female workforce in fact, who are currently perimenopausal or menopausal in this country. As a mentor, I wish to extend my offer of mentoring to the menopausal veterinary practice member, just as a sounding board or as a potential liaison with their colleagues or HR department.

Now menopause is no longer the taboo subject it once was we can really kick on and make a difference. Exciting times.

Author: Judy Scrine, Vet and Writer