Best Perimenopause Clinics in the UK: Where to Get the Help You Need

Why Finding the Right Perimenopause Care Matters

Getting good perimenopause care in the UK is harder than it should be. Many GPs lack specific training in menopause management, and women frequently report being dismissed, misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety, or told that symptoms are just part of getting older. The average time between first reporting symptoms and receiving appropriate treatment is still measured in years for many women.

That is starting to change. The NHS has invested in expanding menopause specialist provision, and the private sector has responded to demand with dedicated clinics and telehealth services. But navigating those options requires knowing what to look for and what questions to ask.

This guide covers the main routes to specialist perimenopause care in the UK, what each one offers, how to assess quality, and what to realistically expect from the process.

What Makes a Good Perimenopause Clinic

Before looking at specific routes, it helps to understand the criteria that separate good perimenopause care from generic primary care.

Specialist training and accreditation matters. The British Menopause Society (BMS) offers a Menopause Specialist qualification. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have related credentials. Practitioners who hold or are working toward these qualifications have demonstrated commitment to the area beyond what standard medical training provides.

A whole-person approach is important. Perimenopause involves symptoms that span sleep, mood, cognition, cardiovascular health, bone density, and sexual health. A clinic that only addresses the prescribing dimension without considering the full picture is giving you incomplete care.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should be offered as a serious option to eligible women, not treated as a last resort after exhausting ineffective alternatives. The updated NICE guidelines (NG23, updated 2023) are clear that HRT is appropriate first-line treatment for perimenopause and menopause symptoms for most women without specific contraindications.

Long-term follow-up and dose titration are part of good menopause care. HRT is not a set-and-forget prescription. It often requires adjustments over the first 6 to 12 months, and ongoing monitoring is standard practice.

NHS Menopause Clinics: What to Expect

The NHS has specialist menopause clinics in many NHS trusts, though provision is uneven across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These are typically secondary care services, meaning you need a GP referral to access them.

NHS menopause clinics are led by consultants, usually in gynecology or endocrinology, with specific menopause expertise. They are appropriate for women with more complex situations, including those with a history of breast cancer, premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), complex HRT prescribing, or significant comorbidities that make standard GP management difficult.

Waiting times vary significantly by area. In many parts of the UK, NHS menopause clinic waiting lists run to several months or longer. This is a genuine barrier for women with significant symptoms who need timely help.

How to access NHS menopause care: Start with your GP. If you are not getting adequate support, you are entitled under NHS England guidance to request a referral to a menopause specialist. You can also change GP practice and seek a GP with specific menopause training. The NHS website has a tool for finding local menopause services.

The NHS has also worked to improve GP-level menopause training following NICE guideline updates. Asking your GP directly about their menopause training and whether they follow current NICE guidelines is a reasonable and appropriate question.

Private Menopause Clinics: Key Options

The private sector has expanded considerably in UK perimenopause care. Several types of private provider are worth knowing about.

Specialist menopause clinics. These are dedicated services staffed by doctors, nurses, and sometimes allied health professionals with specific menopause training. Consultations are thorough, waiting times are short, and follow-up is built into the service model. Costs typically range from 150 to 400 pounds for an initial consultation, with follow-ups at lower cost. Quality varies, so checking that clinicians hold BMS or equivalent accreditation is important before booking.

Private gynaecologists with menopause specialisation. Many consultant gynaecologists in private practice have developed menopause expertise. Booking through a professional who lists menopause in their specialist interests and holds relevant accreditation is a reasonable approach for women who prefer a face-to-face consultant appointment.

Telehealth menopause services. Several UK telehealth providers now offer perimenopause and menopause consultations with medically qualified practitioners who can prescribe HRT. These services have made specialist-level care accessible to women outside major cities or with limited time for in-person appointments. The quality of telehealth services ranges from excellent to poor. Key questions to ask any telehealth provider: Are prescriptions handled by fully registered UK doctors or qualified nurse prescribers? Is the prescriber a BMS-accredited specialist or trained to NICE guideline standards? What follow-up support is included?

Finding a Menopause-Friendly GP

For many women, the most practical first step is finding a GP with genuine menopause expertise rather than a specialist clinic. The Menopause Charity and the British Menopause Society both maintain resources to help women find menopause-trained healthcare professionals.

Ask directly when calling a practice whether any of the GPs have a particular interest or additional training in menopause. Practices that have invested in this area are often happy to say so. Some practices have a designated menopause lead GP.

You are entitled to ask for your care to follow current NICE menopause guidelines. If a GP is reluctant to discuss HRT or dismisses your symptoms without proper assessment, you can request a second opinion or a referral.

Bringing a written list of your symptoms with approximate start dates and frequency is genuinely useful. It helps the consultation move efficiently and gives the clinician a clearer picture than memory-based recall. If you have been tracking symptoms consistently, a log from a perimenopause tracking tool like PeriPlan can serve the same purpose and gives a much more accurate account than trying to recall patterns in the consulting room.

Red Flags and What to Avoid

Not all private menopause services are created equal, and some practices fall short of the standard women deserve.

Avoid services that prescribe compounded bioidentical hormone preparations as their primary approach without clear clinical rationale. Unregulated compounded hormones are not recommended by NICE or the BMS because their safety and efficacy data do not match those of licensed hormone preparations. Regulated body-identical hormones, which are available on NHS and private prescriptions, are not the same as unregulated compounded products. This distinction matters.

Be cautious of services that rely heavily on extensive and expensive private hormone testing panels before prescribing. In most women, perimenopause is a clinical diagnosis based on symptoms and age. Extensive testing rarely changes the clinical picture and primarily increases costs.

Avoid any service that is reluctant to involve your GP or that operates entirely outside the NHS clinical record system. Continuity of care across your medical records is important for your safety, particularly if you have other health conditions or take other medications.

Look critically at services that do not offer follow-up or that use a one-and-done prescribing model. HRT management requires monitoring and adjustment, not a single prescription with no follow-up plan.

Getting the Most From Your Perimenopause Appointment

Whether you are seeing an NHS menopause specialist, a private consultant, or a telehealth service, preparation makes a significant difference in what you get from the consultation.

Come with a clear summary of your symptoms, including which are most disruptive to your daily life. If you have been logging symptoms, bring that data. Note any medications, supplements, or health conditions that are relevant. Write down your questions in advance, since it is easy to forget in the moment.

If HRT is discussed, ask about the difference between oral and transdermal preparations. Current evidence suggests transdermal estrogen carries a lower blood clot risk than oral forms, which is relevant for many women. Ask about the type of progestogen if you have a uterus, since different progestogens have different side effect profiles and different impacts on breast cancer risk.

You do not have to accept a prescription or treatment plan you are not comfortable with. It is appropriate to ask for time to think, to request written information, and to seek a second opinion if you feel uncertain.

Tracking your symptoms before, during, and after any treatment change using PeriPlan gives you objective data to bring back to your next appointment. Changes in symptom patterns, improvements, or new concerns are all more useful when documented consistently rather than recalled from memory.

This article provides general information about accessing perimenopause care in the UK and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your individual situation.