FOI 2025/1359

I am conducting research into women’s health services to support a cultural and educational project. The aim is to compare official statistics with lived experience, helping to highlight the challenges and opportunities around female health and midlife wellbeing.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the information below for the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care area. If the information is not held in the exact format requested, please provide the closest available breakdown or direct me to any published sources.
I understand some items may be held by provider trusts rather than the ICB. If so, please forward this request to Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and/or Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust as appropriate, or advise me where to redirect those items.
Requested information (age 40–65, where relevant)
1. Referrals: Annual number of referrals to menopause specialists/clinics for the past 10 years.
2. Training: Number of GPs and nurses with menopause-specific training (and the nature of that training, if recorded).
3. Prescribing: Annual prescribing rates/volumes of HRT and SSRIs for women aged 40–65 over the past 10 years.
4. Campaigns: Details of any public health campaigns on menopause or midlife women’s health in the last 20 years(titles, dates, budgets, target audience, measurable outcomes if available).
5. Surgical menopause (provider-held): Annual number of hysterectomies and oophorectomies performed on women aged 40–65 over the past 10 years. (If not held by the ICB, please forward to Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.)
6. Suicide: Suicide rates by age and gender for the last 15 years. (If provider-held or public-health team held, please direct/forward accordingly.)
7. Mental health activity: Annual admissions or referrals for stress, anxiety, or depression by age and gender for the last 10 years. (If held by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT, please forward.)
8. Specialist provision: Details of any women-only or menopause-linked mental health services commissioned or delivered in Greater Manchester

1. GM Commissioned Hysterectomies and Oophorectomies for 40-65 year olds
eRS referrals only, however not all referrals go via eRS.
There is not a menopause specialty; so used Service Name where menopause appears in the title. This may not get all menopause referrals.

2. NHS Greater Manchester do not hold training records for our GPs and nurses in primary care.

3. NHS GM does not hold the information requested; it will be necessary for you to contact the NHS BSA for the information you seek. To assist you, please find below links to their websites with information about how to make a Freedom of Information request.
Freedom of Information | NHSBSA

4. Since Greater Manchester ICB was formed the following campaigns have taken place in relation to Women’s Health and menopause
World Menopause Day — Greater Manchester awareness & events (NHS GM)
Dates: World Menopause Day activity / messaging 16–18 October 2024 (annual event; NHS GM page published 16 Oct 2024).
What: NHS GM promoted awareness, information and local events (e.g., Create & Debate event at The Whitworth) and highlighted local support/resources.
Target audience: Residents of Greater Manchester, people experiencing perimenopause / menopause, and local health & care workforce.
Greater Manchester — CPD menopause resource / training (partnership with Balance)
Dates: October 2022
What: NHS GM (with local trusts) partnered with the specialist menopause company Balance to fund a CPD-certified six-module course for the health & care workforce to increase knowledge/confidence about perimenopause/menopause.
Target audience: Health and care workforce across Greater Manchester (staff / clinicians).
GM Moving — “Inspiring women to be active during midlife and menopause” (physical activity programme & resources)
Dates: 2023–2024; GM Moving has specific World Menopause Day content in Oct 2024 and data/learning pages.
What: Local public-health / physical-activity initiative with resources, case studies and events encouraging sport/physical activity for midlife and menopausal women.
Target audience: Midlife women (perimenopause / menopause) across Greater Manchester; also local community organisations / activity providers.

5. Greater Manchester Commissioned Hysterectomies and Oophorectomies for 40-65 year olds
Used the following procedure codes to identify hysterectomy and Oophorectomy:
Q223, Q243, Q243, Q235, Q236, Q072, Q074, Q075, Q082

6. Suicide Rate information can be accessed via the ONS (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2023), and via the PHE Fingerprints tool (https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile-group/mental-health/profile/suicide).
ONS is the place for registration numbers and in terms of age and gender, the new Fingertips data can provide this to some extent but not for the requested 15 years.
It is also worth noting that the Fingerprints site does state that due to small numbers, the age group 10 to 24 years is presented for persons only.

7. This information would not be held by CCGs, PCTs or ICB and any such information would need to be obtained from MH Hospitals – which are not just GMMH and PCFT in the case of GM – and as such we cannot forward provider data.

8. NHS Greater Manchester ICB has supported the development of Women’s Health Hubs in line with the national Women’s Health Strategy.
These hubs arwere initially established across Greater Manchester localities, with the aim of providing accessible, holistic care for women and girls, including menopause support, contraception, and wider sexual and reproductive health needs.
Mental health support was not delivered as a stand-alone, women-only commissioned service within the hubs. Instead, the hubs provided a point of advice, onward referral and signposting to existing Talking Therapies and community mental health services where mental health support is needed.
Hubs also hosted group education and peer support sessions which cover topics such as perimenopause and menopause.
 Menopause-linked Mental Health Services
NHS Greater Manchester ICB does not currently commission any standalone “menopause mental health” services across the whole conurbation.

However, some local NHS trusts have piloted and/or implemented targeted menopause-linked psychological support programmes:
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust: Developed a 6-week CBT-based group course (“Managing the Menopause — Skills for Wellbeing”), initially piloted and now rolled out for residents in parts of Greater Manchester (e.g., Wigan and Salford).
These programmes are designed to support women experiencing low mood, anxiety, and sleep disturbance associated with menopause. They are delivered through existing NHS Talking Therapies services.
Evaluation is ongoing; outcomes are not held centrally by NHS GM ICB.
 Women-only Mental Health Services
NHS GM ICB commissions mental health services on a universal basis, accessible to all residents regardless of gender.
There are no ICB-commissioned women-only community mental health services specifically for menopause.
However, third-sector organisations within Greater Manchester (for example, Manchester Mind) deliver menopause-related wellbeing programmes such as mindfulness courses and podcasts. These are not directly commissioned by NHS GM ICB but may be supported through locality partnerships or grant funding.