Closed petition Increase funding for PMDD, PME and menopause screening in mental health services

Increase funding to help ensure menstrual and menopausal health is included in mental health assessments, including crisis, talking therapies, specialist care & Mental Health Act assessments

More details

We believe services should have adequate funding to track symptoms and create clear treatment pathways for PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) & menopause.

PMDD affects 1 in 20 women & people who menstruate, with some sources citing that almost a third attempt suicide. PMDD, PME (Premenstrual Exacerbation) & menopause can mimic psychiatric illness, leading to misdiagnosis, unsafe treatment, & preventable harm. There is no dedicated mental health pathway for PMDD. Neurodivergent women are disproportionately affected. Menopause will impact nearly all women. We think that including menstrual and menopausal health in assessments could reduce suicide risk, improve diagnosis, & ensure safer, more effective care.

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Government responded

This response was given on 23 March 2026

Mental health assessments should explore symptoms in the context of life and health, including menopause or menstrual disorders. There are no plans to increase funding beyond current budgets.

Read the response in full

The government is committed to prioritising women’s health, including their mental health and wellbeing. Mental health assessments seek to understand a person’s symptoms in the wider context of their life and overall health, and where relevant this may include exploration of the impact of menopause or menstrual disorders. It is not necessary to increase funding to include menstrual and menopausal health in mental health assessments as they already are included as appropriate.

This government recognises that women suffering with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) have been failed for far too long, and we acknowledge the impact it has on women’s lives, relationships and participation in education and the workforce. While menopause is a natural stage of a woman’s life course, symptoms are common and can significantly impact on women’s mental health.

Women are supported to explore the range of available treatment pathways for PMDD and menopause through consultation with their general practitioner (GP). Menopause treatment options, including Hormone Replacement Therapy, can safely and effectively be used to treat common symptoms, including mood problems and anxiety. Where more support is needed, GPs can refer patients to local gynaecology services.

To ensure that healthcare providers can provide the most effective support for conditions such as PMDD and menopause, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published updated guidelines on menopause in November 2024 and recommended more treatment choices for symptoms. PMDD is also listed in NICE’s library of A-Z Health Topics, summarising the current evidence and advice on best practice. Anyone can propose a topic for consideration through the prioritisation process by using the topic suggestion page on NICE’s website at

https://www.nice.org.uk/what-nice-does/our-guidance/prioritising-our-guidance-topics/topic-suggestion.

Additional steps are being taken to ensure that healthcare professionals receive training on topics such as PMDD and menopause. The General Medical Council has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. Women’s health is also included in the Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) trainee GP curriculum. RCGP’s Women’s Health Library brings together resources and guidelines on women’s health. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice. The Royal College of Nursing has also produced a women’s health pocket guide for nurses and midwives working with women. Both resources include PMDD and menopause.

Mental health support is available for women struggling with PMDD or menopause. However, there is no funding dedicated specifically and only to mental health support relating to PMDD, premenstrual exacerbation (PME) and the menopause. NHS mental health spending will increase to a record £16.1 billion in 2026/27, which will support continued expansion of NHS Talking Therapies, which women can self-refer to or access via their GP for anxiety or depression related to PMDD or menopause.

Some NHS trusts are looking at ways to further support this cohort. The Menopause and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) Cross‑Site Service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist menopause, POI and premenstrual syndrome (PMS)/PMDD care. The consultant‑led, multidisciplinary service brings together medical, nursing and allied health professionals to manage complex menopause presentations, PMDD and mental health‑related symptoms linked to perimenopause or cyclical hormonal change. Additionally, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust has launched a series of cognitive behavioural therapy support groups to help women manage symptoms of menopause.

For women around the country, last year we announced an “online hospital” – NHS Online – which will give people the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. Both menopause and menstrual problems will be among the first conditions available for referral to NHS Online from 2027. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App. NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust, while enhancing patient choice and control over their care.

In 2025, we also announced that menopause questions will be included in routine NHS health checks for over-40s, raising awareness of symptoms and giving women the confidence to seek help.

Department of Health and Social Care

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/738923)

  1. Petitions Committee requests a revised response from the Government

    The Petitions Committee (the group of MPs who oversee the petitions system) has considered the Government’s response to this petition. They felt the response did not respond directly to the request of the petition. They have therefore asked the Government to provide a revised response.

    When the Committee receives a revised response from the Government, we will publish this and share it with you.

  2. Original Government response

    We have provided an extra £688 million this year for mental health and are expanding NHS Talking Therapies, which are available to women experiencing mental health issues and conditions such as PMDD.

    Read the response in full
    The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, and we are clear that women’s health, including mental health, will never be neglected again. We are taking steps to improve diagnosis and ensure safer and more effective care.

    The nation’s mental health has deteriorated over the last decade. Lord Darzi’s investigation found that people accessing NHS mental health services are waiting too long, receive variable quality of care, and suffer from entrenched inequalities. We have already taken significant steps to stabilise and improve NHS mental health services. Total mental health spending for the 2025/26 financial year is expected to be £15.6 billion, an increase of £688 million from the previous year. Almost 8,000 extra mental health workers have been recruited since July 2024, against our target of 8,500 by the end of this Parliament.

    We are expanding NHS Talking Therapies which provide psychological support for people with a common mental health condition like stress, anxiety, and depression. More than 670,000 people completed a course of Talking Therapies treatment last year, and through the 10 Year Health Plan, 915,000 people are expected to complete a course of treatment by March 2029. Women experiencing common mental health conditions and issues such as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), Premenstrual Exacerbation (PME) and menopause can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies or be referred by their GP.

    While menopause is a natural stage of a woman’s life course, symptoms are common, and for some women, menopause can have a significant impact on mental health. Low mood and anxiety are two possible symptoms of the menopause. In 2025, we announced that menopause questions will be included in routine NHS health checks for over-40s, raising awareness of symptoms and giving women the confidence to seek help. We are working with experts, including GPs, to design this content, to ensure women receive appropriate support for menopause symptoms.

    In September 2025, we announced an “online hospital” – NHS Online – which will give people the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. Both menopause and menstrual problems will be among the first conditions available for referral to NHS Online from 2027. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App. NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average NHS trust, while enhancing patient choice and control over their care.

    NHS England is also working on menopause workforce support packages for employees and developing a range of tools and interventions that will help to upskill more GPs in menopause care. This includes awareness of mental health symptoms during menopause and improved access to treatments.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published their updated guidelines on menopause in November 2024 and recommended more treatment choices for symptoms. The updated guidelines support healthcare professionals by providing them with information they need to support evidence-based decisions about treatment choices, as well as information and support about menopause.

    Menopause treatment options, including Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), can be used to treat symptoms including mood problems and anxiety. NICE recommends that, for most women, HRT is a safe and effective treatment option. It is important that women are provided with accurate information and are able to make informed choices about their care, including treatment options such as HRT. The NICE guidelines also recommend that healthcare professionals should consider menopause-specific cognitive behavioural therapy as an option for symptoms associated with menopause in addition to HRT.

    Department of Health and Social Care

    This response was given on 24 February 2026. The Petitions Committee then requested a revised response, that more directly addressed the request of the petition.