Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of NHS menopause services available in Devon.

No specific assessment has been made. The menopause is a priority area within the Women’s Health Strategy. The NHS England National Menopause Care Improvement Programme is working to improve clinical menopause care in England, and to reduce disparities in access to treatment. This programme has already delivered training packages for healthcare professionals, and a self-care fact sheet for women. NHS England is also working with integrated care systems in the Midlands, piloting new guidance to support teams in primary care to better recognise and treat menopause symptoms. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs nationally, so that women can get better access to care for essential services such as menstrual problems, contraception and the menopause.

The two priority areas for the pilot women’s health hubs in Devon are services for a menopause pathway and improving access to long-acting reversible contraception, including for non-contraceptive reasons such as the menopause.