The Standing Committee on Health and Care Services has advanced several proposals based on a private member's bill from MPs across multiple parties on women's health and menopause. The proposers argue that menopausal symptoms are both a public health issue and a workplace issue that affects labour force participation, productivity, and the economy. The committee is calling on the government to take action on treatment, professional expertise, education, workplace accommodation, and research.
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These are the proposals in the document, not decisions. See the votes for the outcome.
Parliament calls on the government to ensure better and more equal access to treatment for menopausal symptoms, including examining whether and how the blue prescription scheme could be expanded to cover hormone therapy for women with a medical need during menopause where clinically justified, and to report back to Parliament in an appropriate manner. (Majority proposal from the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Socialist Left Party, Centre Party, Red Party, and Christian Democratic Party)
Parliament calls on the government to initiate cooperation with labour market stakeholders to develop guidance materials and recommendations for employers on how to take menopause into account in the workplace.
Parliament calls on the government to consider pilot projects in selected sectors to reduce sickness absences related to menopause, and to report the results to Parliament in an appropriate manner.
Parliament calls on the government to ensure national guidelines and recommendations for healthcare for women in menopause and increased expertise among GPs and other relevant healthcare professionals.
Parliament calls on the government to make information on women's health known to healthcare professionals, particularly GPs, to build competence.
Parliament calls on the government to ensure better integration of women's health and a life stage perspective in medical and healthcare education. (Majority proposal from the Progress Party, Conservative Party, Red Party, and Christian Democratic Party)
Parliament calls on the government to ensure that women's health and a life stage perspective are integrated into relevant medical and healthcare education programmes through revisions and updates of curriculum frameworks and in RETHOS. (Minority proposal from the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party, and Centre Party)
Parliament calls on the government to continue instructing health enterprises and subordinate agencies to strengthen efforts on women's health in their governance documents. To achieve this, Parliament also calls for the development of relevant indicators going forward.
Parliament calls on the government to strengthen research on women's health and menopause, including the connections between health, work, sickness absence, and the economy, and to ensure that a gender perspective is systematically integrated into health and labour market research through this work.
Parliament calls on the government to ensure better and more equal access to treatment for menopausal symptoms, including hormone therapy and relevant medication included in the blue prescription scheme where clinically justified. (Minority proposal from the Progress Party, Conservative Party, and Christian Democratic Party)
Parliament calls on the government to ensure better and more equal access to treatment for menopausal symptoms, including examining how the blue prescription scheme could be expanded to cover hormone therapy for women with a medical need during menopause where clinically justified, and to report back to Parliament in an appropriate manner. (Minority proposal from the Socialist Left Party, Centre Party, and Red Party)