NHS health checks to include questions about the menopause

Menopause screening will be formally included in the NHS health screening program in England for the first time.

Women taking the test, which is offered to adults aged 40 to 74 every five years, will be asked about menopause and possible symptoms that will appear in the next year.

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

The government said the measure would make menopause commonplace, but campaigners warned that in some communities the level of screening was alarmingly low, meaning few women would benefit from it.

Health screenings are primarily aimed at identifying people at risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes and dementia.

They involve checking a person's blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as measuring a person's BMI (body mass index), and are usually carried out in pharmacies and GP surgeries.

But under the changes, from 2026 women will also be asked about menopause.

The exact issues remain to be decided, but Health Minister Wes Streeting said he hoped the move would improve the support on offer.

“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 go through the menopause alone, with little or no support. No one should have to bite the bullet and just deal with debilitating symptoms or say it’s just part of life.”

Menopause affects all women differently, with most transitioning between the ages of 45 and 55, although 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 brain fog.

These symptoms can last an average of seven years and have a significant impact on daily life, but research shows that less than one in 10 feel they have enough information to cope with it.

Women's Health Ambassador Dame Lesley Regan has welcomed the initiative to ask women about the menopause.

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

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

But she said staff conducting health screenings would need training to ensure the changes had the maximum positive impact.

And she added that more needs to be done to help women from ethnic communities and poorer areas access NHS health checks.

Janet Lindsay, from Women's Welfare, said she hoped the move would help more women understand their symptoms and seek help.

But she is also concerned about the need for medical examinations.

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

Latest figures show that less than half of people invited for health checks actually attend.