The government is today (Thursday 24 April) calling for men of
all ages to come forward and feed into England's first ever men's
health strategy.
The 12-week call for evidence will gather vital insights from the
public, health and social care professionals, academics and
employers so the government can properly consider how to prevent
and tackle the biggest issues facing men from all backgrounds.
It will ask for 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 four years earlier than women
on average.
Health and Social Care Secretary said:
“Every day, men across England are dying early from preventable
causes. 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. I urge people to come forward to share their
views.”
The call for evidence will seek responses on how the
government's Plan for Change can work across the board
to improve the health and wellbeing of men, through:
- Prevention – finding the right areas and the right ways to
promote healthier behaviours
- Diagnosis and treatment - improving outcomes for health
conditions that hit men harder
- Encouragement to come forward - improving men's access to,
engagement with and experience of the health service
This government is committed to fixing the NHS and getting a grip
on the stark health inequalities that exist across the country
through the Plan for Change, which will rebuild the health
service and deliver better care for everyone. With a clearer,
more tailored approach for both men and women, their distinct
health needs will be met better.
In women's health, we're turning the commitments in the women's
health strategy into tangible actions - taking urgent action to
tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform
Plan, investing in a major AI breast cancer screening trial, and
implementing key priority areas outlines in our strategy -
alongside taking wider government action to tackle violence
against women and girls.
Amy O'Connor, Global Lead, Policy and Advocacy at
Movember, said:
“Too many men are dying too young, the men's health strategy is a
once in a generation opportunity to invest in positive change for
men and their loved ones. Share your solutions - whether it's
more community support groups, improved education, or enhancing
clinical training, to create a lasting impact on the future of
men's health.”
Julie Bentley, Samaritans CEO, said:
“Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 so it's critical
that suicide prevention is front and centre of this
strategy. With men making up 75 percent of all suicides,
this strategy is a real opportunity to prevent thousands of
deaths.
“Recognising what works for different groups of men, focusing on
key risk factors and providing evidenced based support will be
crucial and we'd encourage everyone to submit evidence to this
important consultation. We look forward to working with
Government on meaningful ways to cut suicide rates and save
lives.”
The call for evidence will be open for views on the Department of
Health and Social Care website until 17 July. The government aims
to launch the men's health strategy later this year.
Notes to editors
- The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks from 24 April
2025 to 17 July 2025.
- Men are disproportionately affected by a number of health
conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2
diabetes.
- Around 3 in 4 people who died by suicide in 2023 were men.
Suicide is the biggest cause of death in men under the age of
50.
- Those in the most deprived areas of England are expected to
live almost 10 years less than those in the least deprived
areas.
- The men's health strategy was announced by the Health
Secretary at the Men's Health Summit held in partnership with
Movember, hosted by Arsenal and the Premier League, in November.
For more information see here Secretary of State
commits to first ever men's health strategy - GOV.UK
