Women who experience severe or complex menopause symptoms will benefit from enhanced support, with the opening of a new menopause referral site in the Murrumbidgee at Wagga Wagga.
The Murrumbidgee Local Health District's (MLHD) Menopause Service is part of NSW Health's extensive menopause network, which includes four health hubs and multiple referral sites throughout the state.
As a part of this network, the Wagga Wagga-based service is designed to assist women whose menopause symptoms have not responded to previous treatments, or who face additional complications from other medical conditions.
MLHD's Menopause Service is linked to the South Western Sydney LHD Menopause Hub, which means women can access a comprehensive approach to managing severe menopausal symptoms through a multi-disciplinary team of medical specialists and allied health professionals, including women's health nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians, and clinical psychologists.
General practitioners, specialists, and nurse practitioners can refer eligible women for advanced care, they are also welcome to make contact with the service directly by emailing MLHD-menopauseservice@health.nsw.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:
“Up to one in four women endure severe and debilitating menopause symptoms, which is why services like this one are so important.
“The opening of MLHD Menopause Service means improved access to care for those women in this part of regional NSW who need it.
“This service has the potential to be lifechanging for women in the community who require access."
Quotes attributable to Member for Wagga Wagga Joe McGirr:
“I'm glad to see this service is now available in Wagga Wagga and the wider Murrumbidgee region. It will make a big difference to the lives of many women in the region experiencing severe or complex menopause symptoms.
“To have access to the care right here in Wagga Wagga is potentially life-changing for many women in our community who may otherwise have to travel long distances to receive care."
Quotes attributable to MLHD Menopause Coordinator Mary Bartusek:
“The Murrumbidgee service will help to ensure women of all backgrounds and diversity are able to access the specialised services they need to address their menopause symptoms.
“This is an inclusive service which includes all women who may experience health inequities. For example, women who identify as Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander, women from a non-English speaking background, women with a disability, women who are victims of family and/or domestic violence and women living in rural and remote areas of the local health district."