Renewed focus on women’s health brings menopause into the conversation

News - 27 October 2025

NHS health checks, offered to adults between the ages of 40 and 74, will, for the first time, include questions about menopause in a bid to make advice more readily available for women.
A photo of a woman talking to a doctor. Text reads 'renewed focus on women's health brings menopause into the conversation'

Menopause questions and help will be included in routine NHS health checks for the first time nationally, giving women fresh opportunities to seek support and understand their symptoms as they go through this major life transition.

The NHS Health Check is aimed at identifying people with health risks, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia. Routine appointments will now give women regular opportunities to be directed to services, information and treatment options to provide relief. 

Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. It usually affects women between the ages of 45 and 55, but it can happen earlier. 

Three-quarters of women experience symptoms that can significantly impact daily life, like anxiety, mood swings, memory issues, joint pain and brain fog. Yet fewer than 1 in 10 feel they have enough information to deal with it. 

Throughout our Women’s Health Project, we have spoken to women in Redbridge about their experiences of perimenopause and menopause and heard how a lack of awareness left them struggling to understand or manage their symptoms. Despite increased public awareness of menopause in recent years, stigma and silence continue to persist. Culturally sensitive and accessible information provision is key to ensuring all women are able to get the right information and support. 

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

Women have been suffering in silence for far too long and haven’t been encouraged to open up about the symptoms they’re experiencing. 

This often means they’re left to navigate menopause alone, with very little support - all because of an outdated health system that fails to acknowledge how serious it can be. 

No one should have to grit their teeth and just get on with what can be debilitating symptoms or be told that it’s simply part of life. 

This government is overhauling women’s healthcare and giving those experiencing menopause and perimenopause the visibility and support they have long been asking for.

Announced alongside the renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy, the changes mark a major shift in a bid to drive more compassionate care for women across the country. 

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