Managing Menopause in General Practice: Pilot Project Report
Good menopause care takes time, continuity and a holistic approach, yet there is no dedicated resourcing for it for GMS patients. From April to September 2025, Deep End Ireland piloted structured menopause clinics in seven general practices serving communities living in deprivation in Dublin, Cork and Galway. Each woman was offered a 30-minute practice nurse appointment followed by a 15-minute GP appointment. The project was funded by the Department of Health through the Women’s Health Fund.
What we found
The pilot showed strong engagement and comprehensive care for a vulnerable patient group.
518 women were offered an appointment and 84% attended.
Of those who attended, 49% were prescribed HRT and only 4% needed referral to specialist care.
The programme reached much higher proportions of marginalised groups than are represented nationally, including Irish Traveller women (6.6% of participants versus 0.64% nationally) and women on opioid substitution therapy (5.5% versus an estimated 0.2–0.3% nationally).
Key strengths were high attendance and nurse involvement, broad coverage of menopause-related counselling, and proactive screening and lifestyle interventions. GPs and practice nurses told us that women consistently reported feeling “listened to” and “empowered”.
There is room to improve. This includes better follow-up for women who did not attend, more outreach to underrepresented ethnic groups, brief interventions on smoking and alcohol for every woman who needs one, and wider access to interpreters and literacy-sensitive materials.
What next
The learning from the pilot points to three avenues for the future:
A national funding model for menopause care, such as a Chronic Disease Management-style pathway with a nurse-led assessment followed by a GP consultation, so that all GMS patients can access it.
Further enhancing equity and inclusion, with standardised access to interpreters and patient information that works for women with limited literacy or limited English.
Integrating mental health support into menopause care, with routine screening and clear referral pathways.
Authors: Emma Kilgarriff, Bridget Kiely, Bríd Shanahan, Susan Smith and Patrick O’Donnell, on behalf of Deep End Ireland.