All British women aged 45 must be invited for an NHS health check so doctors can talk to them about the menopause, MPs have said, stressing that far more needs to be done to help women and offer advice including free HRT prescriptions and improving symptom training for medics.
A new report from the cross-party All-Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause (APPG) said: “The NHS must implement a health check for all women at the age of 45, offered in a similar way to cervical cancer smears when they are invited to make an appointment.
“This is crucial to ensure women are engaged with the health system ahead of or in the early stages of perimenopause, help diagnose menopause at an earlier stage and ensure women are better prepared, and have the right information and treatment they need to manage the menopause transition.”
The Independent reports that men and women are already offered a free NHS health check at 40 but that specifically looks for early signs of stroke, heart disease, diabetes or dementia.
In its new study, the APPG said one of its central concerns is that women often can’t access the right treatment from their GP, and that “despite the evidence on the safe and effective use of” HRT to manage menopause symptoms, “misconceptions around its usage and the perceptions of its dangers still strongly prevail both among women and medical professionals”.
It said many women are still not being offered HRT by their doctors, or they themselves turn down treatment based on misconceptions.
“Busting the myth around the use of HRT is essential to ensure more women can get the treatment they need to manage their symptoms which can have a huge impact on their day-to-day lives,” it added.
It urged the government to make HRT free on prescription to all in England “as is the case in the devolved nations”.
MPs welcomed the fact that assessments for incoming medics from 2024/25 will cover menopause, but said action was needed to ensure existing doctors “deliver the best menopause treatment possible”. They also called on workplaces to do more, saying almost 1m women in the UK have left jobs as a result of menopausal symptoms.
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