My noble friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health (Baroness Merron) has made the following written statement:
Today I am pleased to be updating the House on a key step we are taking to support women who are going through the menopause.
Menopause is a major life event affecting all women in a variety of ways, both short and long term. Each year around 400,000 women in the UK enter menopause and around three quarters will experience symptoms, lasting an average of seven years.
While menopause is a natural stage of a woman’s life course, symptoms are common with one in four women experiencing the impact on every area of life, at home and at work with women's employment rates falling as the number of menopausal symptoms they report rises.
That is why we are taking action to ensure women are supported through this journey.
Every five years, people aged between 40 and 74 without pre-existing heart conditions are invited to an NHS health check, aiming to detect people at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
Perimenopause symptoms can often start from the age of 40, with most women starting the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, so NHS health checks provide a key opportunity to reach and support these women.
We have listened to women, organisations like Menopause Mandate and the all-party parliamentary group on menopause who have long campaigned for the menopause to be included in the NHS health checks.
That is why we will ask all local authorities to introduce a new element to NHS health checks in 2026. This new menopause question included in the NHS health check will mean eligible women aged 40 to 55 can access advice about the menopause and perimenopause more easily.
We know that women have faced difficulty with access to NHS services being fragmented and through this change we are delivering on our commitment to women’s health, by personalising services to support individuals to manage their health, as set out in the 10-year health plan.
Together, we will ensure women feel supported and are able to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms and where to seek support.
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