Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that Integrated Care Boards have clear pathways for access to specialist menopause advice and escalation for complex cases, including premature ovarian insufficiency and persistent symptoms; and what steps he is taking to reduce variation in menopause referrals and prescribing.

The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, published in April 2026, committed to redesigning clinical pathways, including for menopause.

These redesigned pathways will create roadmaps for health systems to use and adapt for local needs that will enable women to move more quickly through the system and reach the level of care they need with fewer appointments.

Integrated care boards will monitor and report on progress through improvement plans submitted to the NHS England Women’s Health National Programme Board.

The renewed Women’s Health Strategy also shifts women’s health care, including menopause, away from hospital-only care towards primary and community settings, such as neighbourhood women’s health services and women’s health hubs, making care easier to access and closer to home. Neighbourhood women’s health services will liaise with secondary care services to ensure that people who require specialist care have access to it, including those who are experiencing treatment-induced menopause.

Additionally, each region will have a specialist centre to support group-based clinics in women's health such as menopause services, improving access, peer support, and consistency, with early rollout focused on areas of highest need.