Review of BMS menopause specialist programme

27 April 2026

The British Menopause Society (BMS) board of trustees has made the decision to review the BMS menopause specialist programme and, as a result, specialist registration is currently suspended.

As the review progresses, the BMS will continue to educate healthcare professionals (HCPs).  Completion of the BMS Advanced Certificate in the Principles & Practice of Menopause Care still facilitates HCPs to accept external referrals, manage complex cases and deliver specialist menopause care.

To provide some background:
NICE Guideline, Menopause: diagnosis and management (NG23) 2015
The BMS menopause specialist programme was established following the publication of the NICE Guideline, Menopause: Diagnosis and Management (NG23)  in November 2015. At that time, the guideline referenced the term ‘Menopause Specialist’ without providing a definition. The BMS, as the specialist society, defined the role.

The BMS register was established in 2016 and now has more than 500 BMS menopause specialists.

NICE Guideline, Menopause: identification and management (NG23) updated 2024
In the updated NICE Guideline Menopause: identification and management (NG23), it is stated that:

Healthcare professional with expertise in menopause
Healthcare professionals with specialist knowledge, skills and training who can (in collaboration with the relevant specialists) manage, or advise colleagues in managing, complex menopause-related needs and risk factors affecting decision making, including:

• complex medical problems that potentially affect use of treatments for menopause associated symptoms

• menopause associated symptoms for those at elevated risk of breast or ovarian cancer, or with a personal history of hormone dependent cancer.

Their training should be recognised by a professional body such as the British Menopause Society, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare or the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

The focus has therefore changed and NICE has revised its terminology, no longer referring to ‘Menopause Specialists’.

The BMS board of trustees is considering the implications of this change of focus and in terminology, hence the review. It is anticipated that the review and any implementation of outcomes will be complete by the end of the year.

Find the original article HERE