MILLIONS of women on lower incomes are being forced by chronic pain to give up work, a survey showed today

One in five adults have left a job due to illness, rising to 24 per cent for women compared with 16 per cent for men.

Women were also more likely to cut hours for health reasons as well as to feel under pressure to return to work while still unwell, according to the poll of 2,000 adults.

Chronic pain is a leading factor behind the loss of 148.9 million working days last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Specialist medical cannabis clinic Mamedica published the research on the seven-year anniversary of Britain’s rescheduling of cannabis-based medicines.

Mamedica chief executive Jon Robson said: “Seven years on, many still struggle for recognition.

“Employers must approach long-term conditions with the same understanding now afforded to menopause or neurodivergence. 

“Supporting legitimate treatment pathways is both humane and essential to restoring productivity.”

Hazards Campaign chairwoman Janet Newsham said: “Women’s health concerns at work continue to be ignored at best and are often made worse by the conditions they work in, the equipment they use, ill-fitting PPE and a lack of proper research into the causes of their physical and mental ill health.  

“As a result, they are forced out of work with chronic conditions that should have been preventable. 

“Although medical cannabis may help some women to deal chronic pain, it would be far more beneficial to stop the underlying cause of the pain in the first place and to provide reasonable adjustments that include flexible working conditions and a supportive working environment that enable women to continue in work.”