NHS health checks in England to ask questions about menopause for the first time | NHS
Ministers have announced that NHS health checks will include questions about menopause for the first time, and are expected to benefit millions of women in England.
Adults ages 40 to 74 who do not have a pre-existing long-term health condition are eligible for: NHS health check. Every five years. The screenings aim to identify people at higher risk of heart and kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and stroke.
The checks will also include questions about menopause, which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) estimates could help up to 5 million women. The questions will be written over the next few months and ministers hope the change will come into effect from 2026.
Health Minister Wes Streeting said the change would give women “the visibility and support they have been asking for”.
He said: “Women have suffered in silence for too long, left to get through menopause on their own, with too little support – all because of an outdated health system that fails to acknowledge how serious it is.
“No one should grit their teeth and continue to deal with symptoms that can be debilitating or be told it’s just a part of life.”
on Three quarters of women They suffer from menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, depression and sleep problems, which a quarter of them describe as severe.
According to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should be offered as first-line treatment for menopausal symptoms. It can also help maintain muscle strength and prevent osteoporosis.
However, many women say they are not heard and do not get the help they need.
Dr Sue Mann, National Clinical Director for Women’s Health at NHS England, said: “By designing NHS health checks to include questions about menopause, we hope more women will get the support they need to manage their symptoms.”
Experts welcomed the announcement but urged the NHS to improve access to testing in the first place. President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Professor Rani Thakkar, said it was “fantastic news” that would help reduce stigma, but such efforts needed to be more targeted.
After promoting the newsletter
“For this change to have maximum positive impact, we would like to see a real focus on ensuring women from diverse ethnic communities and socially deprived areas are supported to access health checks, and excellent menopause training for healthcare assistants providing health checks,” she said.
“This is sorely needed, especially to provide evidence-based information to women about the benefits of HRT,” said Kate Muir, author of Everything You Need to Know About Menopause (But We’re Too Afraid to Ask). GP appointments are an ideal way to deliver knowledge to all communities. We know from NHS statistics that 23% of post-menopausal white women take HRT, but only 5% of black and 6% of Asian women. This might open doors.”
“Women and people from marginalized communities are less likely to know about or attend these events,” said Janet Lindsay, chief executive of Women’s Wellbeing. [health checks]And advances in menopause support can’t leave them behind. Health care professionals must work with grassroots organizations embedded in these communities to ensure that those facing additional barriers receive the personalized care they need.