NHS health checks to include questions about the menopause

Menopause screening will be officially included in NHS health checks for the first time in England.

Adults aged between 40 and 74 who have their five-year checkups will be asked questions about menopause and possible symptoms starting next year.

The aim is to identify women who may benefit from advice and support, including treatments such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), medications to combat hot flashes and counselling.

The government said the measure would make menopause common, but campaigners warned that the rate of attendance for health checks was alarmingly low in some communities and so not enough women would benefit.

The primary purpose of health checks is to identify people at risk of developing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes and dementia.

It involves measuring a person’s BMI (body mass index), as well as checking blood pressure and cholesterol, and is normally done in pharmacies and GP surgeries.

However, with these changes, women will also be asked about menopause starting from 2026.

The exact questions are yet to be determined but Health Minister Wes Streeting said he hoped the move would increase the support offered.

“Women have been suffering in silence for too long and have not been encouraged to open up about the symptoms they are experiencing,” she said.

“This often means they have to go through menopause alone with little support. No one should have to grit their teeth and continue with debilitating symptoms or be told it’s just a part of life.”

Menopause affects all women differently; Most people experience the transition between ages 45 and 55, but symptoms may begin earlier during perimenopause.

Three-quarters of women experience symptoms ranging from physical changes such as joint pain, weight gain and hot flashes to cognitive effects such as memory problems and confusion.

These symptoms can last an average of seven years and can significantly affect daily life, but research shows that fewer than one in 10 people feel they have enough knowledge to deal with it.

Women’s Health Ambassador Dame Lesley Regan welcomed the move to ask women about menopause.

She said: “Around 400,000 women in the UK will enter menopause this year, but the vast majority of them will have little knowledge of what underlies the many and varied symptoms.”

Prof Ranee Thakar, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said this would help “break down barriers and reduce stigma”.

But for the change to have maximum positive impact, staff carrying out health checks will need training, he said.

He added that more needed to be done to help women from ethnic communities and the poorest areas access NHS health checks.

Janet Lindsay, of Wellbeing of Women, said she hoped the move would help more women understand their symptoms and seek help.

However, he is also worried about health checks.

“Women and people from marginalized communities are less likely to know about or attend these appointments, and progress on menopause support cannot outpace them,” she said.

Latest figures show that less than half of those invited to a health check actually attend.