NHS health checks in England to have questions on menopause for first time
NHS health checks are to include questions about the menopause for the first time, ministers have announced, with millions of women in England expected to benefit,Adults aged from 40 to 74 who do not have a pre-existing long-term health condition are eligible for an NHS health check every five years,The checks are intended to identify those at higher risk of heart and kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and stroke,The checks will also include questions about the menopause, which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) estimates could help as many as 5 million women,The questions will be written over the next few months and ministers hope the change will take effect from 2026.
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said the change would give women “the visibility and support they have long been asking for,”“Women have been suffering in silence for far too long,” he said, and they are “left to navigate menopause alone, with very little support – all because of an outdated health system that fails to acknowledge how serious it can be,“No one should have to grit their teeth and just get on with what can be debilitating symptoms or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,”About three-quarters of women have menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, depression and sleep problems, and a quarter describe them as severe,According to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should be offered as a first-line treatment for menopause symptoms.
It can also help to maintain muscle strength and prevent osteoporosis.Many women, however, say they are not listened to and do not get the help they need.NHS England’s national clinical director for women’s health, Dr Sue Mann, said: “By tailoring NHS health checks to include questions around menopause, we hope more women will get the support they need to manage their symptoms.”Experts welcomed the announcement but urged the NHS to improve access to checks in the first place.The president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Prof Ranee Thakar, said it was “fantastic news” that would help to reduce stigma, but that efforts needed to be more targeted.
Sign up to First EditionOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersafter newsletter promotion“For this change to have maximum positive impact we’d like to see a real focus on ensuring women from diverse ethnic communities and socially deprived areas being supported to access health checks, and excellent menopause training for healthcare assistants providing health checks,” she said.Kate Muir, the author of Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause (But Were Too Afraid to Ask), said: “This is desperately needed, particularly to provide evidence-based information for women on the benefits of HRT.GPs’ appointments are a perfect way to get knowledge into all communities.We know from NHS statistics that 23% of white menopausal women are on HRT, but only 5% of black and 6% of Asian women.This may open doors.
”The chief executive of Wellbeing of Women, Janet Lindsay, said: “Women and people from marginalised communities are less likely to know about or attend these [health checks], and progress on menopause support cannot leave them behind.Healthcare professionals must work with grassroots organisations embedded in these communities to ensure that those facing additional barriers receive the tailored care they need.”
Frontrunner suffers blow in race to be UK ambassador to US over criticisms of Trump
Mark Sedwill’s prospects of becoming the UK’s ambassador in Washington have taken a blow after officials raised concerns about an article he wrote in 2021 praising Joe Biden and criticising Donald Trump.The former cabinet secretary and national security adviser has emerged as the frontrunner in the race to succeed Peter Mandelson in Washington. But some in government are worried about an article he wrote four years ago in which he made several criticisms of Trump after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Biden.The concerns reflect divides in Whitehall over how to manage the relationship with a volatile White House after the brief but eventful tenure of Lord Mandelson, who was one of the few overtly political holders of the role.In the article Lord Sedwill wrote for the Daily Mail in 2021, he described being involved in Trump’s first official visit to the UK while working in Downing Street under Theresa May
Reform’s only Black branch chair quits over ‘harmful’ migration debate
The only Black branch chair of Reform UK has left the rightwing populist party, saying the tone of Britain’s migration debate is “doing more harm than good”.Neville Watson, from north London, told the Guardian he had not experienced any racism in Reform, where there were “a lot of good people”. However, the former leader of the party’s Enfield branch said he was alarmed by the growing influence of Christian nationalism – the hard-right movement that blends politics with fundamentalism.Watson added that he was dismayed by rising levels of Islamophobia, feared some people within the party were “sympathetic” to the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, and was concerned British politics was “losing its compassion” as parties vied to compete with Reform.The son of Jamaican, Windrush-generation parents, Watson,whose professional background is in social enterprise, youth work and special educational needs, played a key role in welcoming voters from London’s diverse communities into the party
Jess Phillips has ‘full backing’ of PM over grooming gangs inquiry, says minister
A minister has said the government has “full confidence” in Jess Phillips after four abuse survivors called for her resignation as a condition for their participation in the national grooming gangs inquiry.The crisis engulfing the inquiry deepened on Wednesday as the four survivors accused Phillips of “betrayal” and said she was “unfit to oversee a process that requires survivors to trust the government”.But a government minister insisted on Thursday that Phillips would “stay in post” as safeguarding minister, saying she was “a lifelong advocate and champion for young girls who’ve been abused”.Josh MacAlister, the children’s minister, said Phillips had the “full backing of the prime minister and the home secretary”.“She has already shown that she is properly engaging with the survivor community,” he told Sky News
Shabana Mahmood says damning report shows Home Office ‘not fit for purpose’
Shabana Mahmood has said the Home Office is “not yet fit for purpose” after the release of a damning report that was kept secret for years.The review, written under the previous government, uncovered a series of perceived shortcomings including a “culture of defeatism” on immigration, a lack of trust from other departments, and “several confused and conflicting systems”.Written by the former Home Office special adviser Nick Timothy in 2023, it has been released after a two-year legal battle by the Times.Responding to the revelations, Mahmood, who took over as home secretary from Yvette Cooper in September, vowed to overhaul the department, which she said had been “set up to fail”.Timothy, who was given access to the department during a two-month review, found an excessively “defensive approach” among the Home Office’s lawyers and a reluctance among senior officials to tell “difficult truths” to ministers
Police take no further action against men arrested for Trump Windsor projections
No further action will be taken against four men arrested in connection with projecting an image of Donald Trump and the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on to Windsor Castle, police said.The stunt during Trump’s unprecedented second state visit on 16 September by the political campaign group Led By Donkeys attempted to draw attention to the US president’s long friendship with Epstein.A letter the US president allegedly sent to Epstein was also projected on to the castle, along with pictures of Epstein’s victims, news clips about the case and police reports.A 60-year-old man from East Sussex, a 37-year-old man from Kent, and two men from London aged 36 and 50 were arrested on suspicion of “offences including malicious communications and public nuisance”.But on Wednesday, Thames Valley police said the investigation had concluded and no further action would be taken
Keir Starmer prepares to miss key green target in effort to keep energy bills down
Ministers are considering dropping one of their central green pledges in an effort to keep energy bills down, sources have told the Guardian.Government insiders say Keir Starmer is prepared to miss his own target of removing almost all fossil fuels from the UK’s electricity supply by 2030 if doing so proves much more expensive than building gas power instead.The issue will come to a head within weeks as Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, decides how much renewable energy to commission for the next few years. Allies say Miliband is willing to buy less than experts say is needed to hit the 2030 target, if paying for them would push energy bills much higher than their current levels.Concern is growing in Downing Street that the cost of living is fuelling the rise of Reform UK, which leads national polls and is predicted to take the Welsh Senedd seat of Caerphilly in a byelection this week
Dozens of Labour MPs warn of chaos for firms over gender recognition advice
Care Quality Commission chief quits over maternity inquiry into NHS trust he led
NHS health checks in England to have questions on menopause for first time
The housing crisis needs better solutions than this | Letters
Samaritans accused of stifling dissent and bullying over branch closure plans
NHS staff: have you seen or been affected by violence in hospital?