7. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Women’s Health

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:55 pm on 5 July 2022.

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Photo of Delyth Jewell Delyth Jewell Plaid Cymru 5:55, 5 July 2022

I also really welcome the statement. I'd like to highlight something about the impact of the hormone replacement therapy shortage on women going through the menopause. One constituent has raised something quite specific with me, which is that women going through surgical menopause are being particularly badly affected. So, surgical menopause is when surgery, instead of the ageing process, causes the menopause to happen. My constituent told me that, for women like her with no hormones, going without HRT isn't just a case of making it more difficult to top up your mood, it really makes it almost impossible to function, and suicidal thoughts are just really taking over her life sometimes. So, can anything please be done to prioritise how women who need HRT the greatest can be made to be prioritised, because not everyone's menopause will be the same? And, as I've said before, I realise that the UK Government has responsibility for maintaining supply of medicines, but I would welcome more information on what you're doing cross-governmentally on this, please.