Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Call for Evidence: Streeting urges public to help shape men’s health strategy

Insights gathered from the 12-week call for evidence will inform England’s first ever men’s health strategy to tackle the life expectancy gap.

 Government launches call for evidence on England’s first ever men’s health strategy

Wes Streeting

Pic credit: Getty images

The government is urging men of all ages to come forward and contribute to the development of England’s first-ever men’s health strategy, a key initiative under its Plan for Change.

On Thursday (24), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) launched a 12-week call for evidence, seeking insights from the public, health and social care professionals, academics and employers on ways to prevent and tackle the biggest issues facing men.


Health secretary Wes Streeting has urged people to come forward to share their views on “what is working and what more needs to be done” to close the life expectancy gap between men and women, as men in England die nearly 4 years earlier than women, on average.

“Every day, men across England are dying early from preventable causes,” he said.

“Men are hit harder by a range of conditions, while tragically suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50.”

“Our Plan for Change means we will tackle these issues head on through a men’s health strategy, and today’s call for evidence is the crucial next step in understanding what works, what doesn’t, and how we can design services men will actually use.”

The consultation will be open until 17 July 2025 via the DHSC website. Insights gathered will inform the final men’s health strategy, expected to be published later this year.

Men are disproportionately affected by conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Alarmingly, around three in four people who died by suicide in 2023 were men.

The upcoming men’s health strategy was first announced by Streeting at the Men’s Health Summit in November 2024, hosted by Arsenal and the Premier League in partnership with Movember.

“Too many men are dying too young,” said Amy O’Connor, global lead, policy and advocacy at Movember.

She urged members of the public and healthcare experts to share solutions to create a lasting impact on the future of men’s health.

“The men’s health strategy is a once in a generation opportunity to invest in positive change for men and their loved ones,” she said.

More For You

Pharmacist handing medicine to patient, NHS prescription cost freeze debate

Prescription charge will remain at £9.90

Pic credit: iStock

NPA calls for end to prescription charge after freeze announcement

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has asked for prescription charges to be completely removed despite the government announcing today that the charge will be frozen for the first time in three years.

Patients will continue paying £9.90 to collect their medication from a pharmacy.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS launches new prescribing development programme for pharmacists

From 2026, every newly qualified pharmacist will be an independent prescriber

gettyimages

RPS unveils new training programme to enhance pharmacists’ prescribing skills

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced the launch of a comprehensive new prescribing development programme to support pharmacists across all stages of their prescribing careers.

The initiative comes ahead of the NHS mandate that every newly qualified pharmacist will be an independent prescriber by 2026 — a change set to transform the future of pharmacy practice.

Keep ReadingShow less
Varenicline promotes nicotine vaping cessation in young people

Researchers warn that e-cigarette use can increase risk for nicotine addiction,uptake of combusted tobacco and other substance use.

gettyimages

Anti-smoking pill varenicline may help young people quit vaping, new study suggests

Varenicline — a daily pill already offered through NHS Stop Smoking Services — could also support young people in quitting vaping, new research has suggested.

The medication, proven to be more effective than nicotine replacement gums or patches for smoking cessation, was shown to significantly boost vaping abstinence when combined with behavioural counselling in adolescents and young adults.

Keep ReadingShow less
Relying on blue inhalers alone can worsen asthma symptoms, warns MHRA

Patients are advised to use their preventer inhaler regularly, even if their asthma feels under control.

Pic credit: gettyimages

Overuse of blue inhalers can increase risk of severe asthma attacks, warns MHRA

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reminding asthma patients to use their preventer (anti-inflammatory) inhalers regularly as prescribed, rather than relying solely on their blue inhalers, also referred to as reliever inhalers.

“Without regular use of a preventer inhaler, symptoms could worsen and increase the risk of severe asthma attacks,” the MHRA warned.

Keep ReadingShow less
13 pharmacists achieve RPS core advanced credential with record pass rate

The latest successful cohort includes pharmacists from both England and Scotland.

Pic credit: Getty Images

13 more pharmacists achieve RPS core advanced credential - Highest pass rate yet

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced that 13 more pharmacists have successfully completed Core Advanced Credentialling as part of the latest assessment cohort —achieving a remarkable 93% pass rate, the highest to date.

This brings the total number of pharmacists awarded the RPS core advanced credential to 113 since the launch of the Core Advanced Curriculum in 2023, with successful candidates from GP, secondary care and community settings.

Keep ReadingShow less