Aunt Flow is go!
Monique Buchanan, Matron, receiving Aunt Flow boxes from Women Network
Free period products are now available for staff on inpatient wards, promoting equity, reducing stress and making it easier for female staff to focus on patient care, thanks to our Women's Network Aunt Flow working group, and funding from Maudsley Charity’s Change Makers scheme.
This initiative aims to ensure that staff have easy access to free period products while working on the wards and addresses the ongoing issue of period poverty.
Period poverty is a widespread and worldwide issue, but it is also affecting many people across the UK too. An ActionAid UK study in 2023 found that one in five “women and people who menstruate in the UK are now struggling to afford period products.”
Emma Jones, QI Lead and project lead for the Aunt Flow working group, explained that the idea for the Free Period Pad Boxes project came from seeing free period products in public toilets over the years.
She said:
With the recent cost-of-living crisis, it became clear that providing these products on Trust inpatient wards could be incredibly beneficial. Women are disproportionately affected by the crisis, with research showing that, in the UK, women took home, on average, £696 less per month than men in 2022.
Inpatient ward staff can't easily leave their post to buy period products while on shift. Women have to remember to pack sanitary products or ask a colleague for a pad, then go to the staff room, conceal it, and walk down the corridor to the staff toilet. This adds unnecessary stress to an already demanding role. By making period products readily available, we aim to ease this burden for the women who make up 70% of the Trust workforce. This initiative is designed to alleviate one small but significant worry, allowing women to focus more on their demanding roles and ultimately improving patient care.
This incredible project was possible with support from the Change Makers: Maudsley Charity Small Grants Fund, which supports innovative projects that improve the wellbeing of staff and patients within the Trust.
On Monday 16 December, River House received their Free Period Pads Boxes, just in time for Christmas. These boxes will be available for all staff to use, ensuring they have the products they need to manage their periods while on duty.
