Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that menopause training is included in routine primary care continuing professional development and the women’s health workforce model to ensure consistent implementation of NICE guideline NG23 and quality standard QS143 across general practice.

The Government recognises the ongoing need to ensure healthcare practitioners have sufficient knowledge of women’s health, including menopause, to provide the best possible care.

General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

Menopause is included in the Royal College of General Practitioners’ curriculum for trainee GPs, including gynaecology, sexual health, and breast health. The curriculum also covers women’s healthcare needs across all diseases seen in primary care, ensuring future GPs treat women holistically.

The General Medical Council (GMC) introduced a new Medical Licensing Assessment for all medical graduates from the academic year 2024/25 with an updated version being introduced for September 2026. This includes topics relating to women’s health, such as menopause and perimenopause.

All United Kingdom registered doctors are subject to revalidation requirements, overseen by the GMC, with the process led by the Royal College of General Practitioners. Continuing professional development is essential for demonstrating fitness to practise safely.

NHS England is developing a Multi-professional Capabilities Framework with Skills for Health, to develop tiered trainings and competencies for health care professionals to ensure continued professional development across the workforce.