How to prepare for a menopause appointment with your GP

Before you go: what to note down

It's easy to forget things once you're in the room. A single page of notes can help. You could include:

• what you've noticed, and roughly when it started
• how your periods have changed, and the date of your last one
• how it's affecting your sleep, work, relationships or mood
• any medicines you take, including contraception
• anything that runs in your family, such as early menopause
• the one thing you most want to leave with

Hormonal contraception can make it harder to tell if you've reached perimenopause, so it's worth mentioning.

NHS inform, the NHS in Scotland, offers a menopause symptom questionnaire you can use to keep a note of your symptoms.

What NICE says a GP should talk through

NICE writes guidance for health professionals in England. Its menopause guideline says care should be tailored to each person at every stage.

It says a GP should give you information about:

• the stages of menopause
• common symptoms, and how it's diagnosed
• lifestyle changes that could help your general health and wellbeing
• the benefits and risks of treatments for menopause symptoms
• the long-term health effects of menopause

NICE groups treatment options into 3 types, listed here alphabetically:

• hormonal, for example hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• non-hormonal medicines
• non-medicine options, for example cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

In 2024, NICE added guidance on talking through options together, so decisions are shared. It also published a discussion aid about HRT for GPs to use.

Questions you could ask

NICE suggests some questions to think about. The NHS suggests others about HRT. You could ask:

The NHS says that if you start HRT, a GP will usually suggest a review after 3 months. After that, you'll usually have 1 review a year.

If treatment isn't helping

NICE says a GP should refer you to a healthcare professional with expertise in menopause if:

• treatments don't improve your symptoms, or
• you have side effects that don't go away

It says a GP should consider a referral if HRT isn't suitable for you, or if it's unclear which option suits you best.

The NHS says a GP may also suggest changing your dose, or the type of HRT you take.

Women's health hubs in England

Women's health hubs bring some services together, so you don't need as many appointments in different places. Menopause assessment and treatment is one of their core services.

Every integrated care board in England is expected to set up at least 1 hub. A hub isn't always a single building, and there may not be one near you yet. Your GP practice can tell you what's available near you.

After the appointment

Before you leave, check you know what happens next. Jot down what was agreed, any tests or referrals, and when to go back.

If things change, or you're not sure about something, you can book another appointment. You don't have to wait for a review date.

Sources

1. NICE, Menopause: identification and management (NG23) (last updated November 2024)
2. NICE, Menopause: information for the public (date not shown)
3. NHS, Treatment for menopause and perimenopause (reviewed 19 May 2026)
4. NHS, About hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (reviewed 7 February 2023)
5. NHS, Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause (reviewed 19 May 2026)
6. NHS inform, Signs and symptoms of menopause (updated 14 March 2023)
7. GOV.UK, Women's health hubs: core specification (updated 21 March 2024)
8. NHS England, Women's health hubs providing integrated care at neighbourhood level (published 5 March 2025)

Last checked September 2026. Next check September 2027.

This guide gives general information. It isn't medical advice, and it can't tell you what's right for you.