NHS health checks to include questions about the menopause

Menopause screening is to be officially incorporated into NHS health checks in England for the first time.

Women receiving the checks – offered to adults aged 40 to 74 every five years – will be asked about their menopause and possible symptoms from next year.

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

The government said the move would make menopause more widespread, but campaigners warned that uptake of health checks was extremely low in some communities and not enough women could benefit.

Health checks primarily aim to identify people at risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes and dementia.

They include blood pressure and cholesterol checks as well as measuring a person’s BMI (body mass index) and are normally carried out in pharmacies and GP surgeries.

But as part of these changes, from 2026, women will also be asked about the menopause.

The exact issues have not yet been decided, but Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he hoped the move would improve the support offered.

“Women have suffered in silence for too long and have not been encouraged to speak openly about the symptoms they are experiencing,” he said.

“This often means they have to deal with menopause alone, with very little support. No one should have to grit their teeth and put up with what can be debilitating symptoms or be told that it’s just part of life.”

Menopause affects all women differently, with most experiencing the transition between the ages of 45 and 55, although symptoms may appear earlier during perimenopause.

Three-quarters of women experience symptoms – ranging from physical changes like joint pain, weight gain and hot flashes to cognitive effects like memory problems and brain fog.

These symptoms can last for an average of seven years and significantly affect daily life. Yet research shows that fewer than one in ten people believe they have enough information to cope.

Women’s health ambassador Dame Lesley Regan welcomed the move to ask women about the menopause.

She said: “Some 400,000 women in the UK will go through the menopause this year, but the vast majority of them will have very little knowledge about what is causing the many and varied symptoms.”

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

But she said staff carrying out the health checks would need training for the change to have the maximum positive impact.

And she said more needed to be done to help women from ethnic communities and poorer 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.

But she is also concerned about the use of health checks.

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

The latest figures show that less than half of people invited for a health check actually attend.