December 2025
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This conference examined priorities for men’s health and wellbeing in England, including implementation of the recently published Men’s Health Strategy.
Policy developments & funding
It brought stakeholders and policymakers together to consider how policy and services can better address the causes of preventable illness and early mortality in men. The agenda brought out latest thinking on prevention strategies, improving engagement with healthcare, and tackling persistent disparities in outcomes and access.
It was an opportunity to discuss next steps for collaboration, funding and service delivery, including for the three key aims set out in the Men’s Health Strategy around improving health services engagement with men, building structures to maximise men’s own health and wellbeing, and creating the conditions for this to thrive.
Attendees considered the £3m investment for community-based men’s health programmes starting in April 2026 for three years, including opportunities for reaching at-risk groups and effective design options to access people who aren’t engaging with current services.
Further discussion looked at strategies for improving men’s health literacy, including the role of the three year collaboration with the Premier League and options for further collaborations, as well as digital opportunities for men to access information, services, and to manage and monitor their healthcare online. Delegates also discussed the new Men’s Health Academic Network and priorities for research and building the evidence base to improve health literacy and tackle health inequalities linked to deprivation.
Recent findings & key issues
The Men’s Health Strategy was considered in the context of wider NHS reforms outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan, as well as priorities emerging from the call for evidence on the National Cancer Plan. Findings from the Health and Social Care Committee’s 2023/24 Men’s Health Inquiry, and Movember’s 2024 report The Real Face of Men’s Health - which show a sharp decline in male life expectancy post-COVID - were also discussed.
Attendees considered latest insights from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ update in November, which highlighted gender differences in chronic loneliness to inform mental health care priorities. We expected discussion on the way forward for improving men’s mental health and initiatives from the Strategy including £3.6m investment for neighbourhood-based suicide prevention support pathfinders, building evidence on mental health of fathers in the year after childbirth, and updating analysis on suicide risk by occupation group.
Effective prevention, public health & service improvement
Strategic options for improving national leadership, effective prevention strategies and education were considered, looking at improving NHS services for men, as well as the role of voluntary and community organisations in improving men’s health and wellbeing. Delegates discussed prevention strategies that are relevant, trusted, and accessible to different groups of men, alongside approaches to education, public information and encouraging healthy behaviours.
With the Care Quality Commission’s recently published State of Health Care and Adult Social Care in England 2024/25 report highlighting Black men’s mental health and identifying barriers to accessing mental health services and inequalities in care pathways, we expected discussion to consider next steps for improving services and care for mental health issues. Areas for discussion included tackling barriers to timely access, reducing potential stigma linked to seeking support, and the responsiveness of the health system to serious and complex need.
Delegates also explored findings from Healthwatch England’s recent report on men’s health outcomes, which called for improved NHS health checks, prostate screening, and mental health care access.
Drawing on latest thinking and research on improving men’s public health, delegates discussed strategies for healthy eating, smoking cessation, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and mental health, as well as coordinated approaches to preventing harm from gambling. The role of workplaces, sport organisations, and community-based initiatives in supporting sustainable long-term improvements were also discussed. Sessions examined the Men’s Health Strategy workplace pilots and partnerships as models for cross-sector engagement.
Screening
The conference followed the UK National Screening Committee’s recent recommendation for prostate cancer screenings to be offered only to those with specific genetic mutations - due to be consulted on before final advice early next year. We expected discussion on next steps for clinical research in this area, as the Committee indicated uncertainties around impact on screenings for black men due to a lack of clinical trials.
Sessions explored future approaches to screening, focusing on ways to improve risk-based methods in light of concerns about the PSA test’s accuracy and false positives in prostate cancer, as well as strategies for strengthening early intervention, including calls for targeted national screening. We also expected discussion on improving men’s engagement with screening and diagnostics, including options for moving this closer to the community, improving access, flexible timing, tackling psychological barriers, and enabling more targeted outreach in primary care.
It was an opportunity to discuss the latest innovative developments and their role in improving health outcomes as NICE approves new life extending prostate cancer drug abiraterone, and the NHS trials new same-day AI diagnostics in pilot sites. The Strategy’s announcement of home testing for PSA via the NHS App from 2027 was a focus for advancing accessible, early detection.
Equality, collaboration & coordination
Further discussion looked at embedding gender-informed and equity-focused approaches within NHS reform, and how policy can better support men in underserved groups, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, disadvantaged communities, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Attendees examined how local and national systems can improve coordination to deliver effective care, such as through cross-sector collaboration, investment in workforce and data infrastructure, and robust mechanisms for tracking progress and accountability. Discussion considered the impact of Skills for Health’s recently launched Men’s Health Programme, which equips nurses with specialised training to address men’s unique needs in areas such as prostate health, mental wellbeing, and cardiovascular risks. Attendees considered opportunities to enhance accountability and equity in delivery, following establishment of a stakeholder oversight group and the Men’s Health Strategy committing to a one-year progress report.
Priorities for developing best practice and clinical guidance were also considered, including the development of a new e-learning module in men’s health for professionals, as well as opportunities for commissioning and shaping care pathways to improve health outcomes.
Overview of areas for discussion
- Men’s Health Strategy: priorities emerging from the call for evidence - alignment with NHS reform and major national plans - structures to support long-term coordination and implementation
- R&I: research priorities and developing the evidence base
- prevention and early intervention: screening and health checks in high-risk groups - encouraging earlier presentation - reducing exposure to modifiable risks - integration of new funding commitments
- mental health: tackling barriers to timely access - addressing potential stigma linked to seeking support - system responsiveness to serious and complex need - scaling suicide prevention initiatives
- health inequalities: assessing disparities in life expectancy and outcomes across groups - factors affecting access by ethnicity, geography, and income - scope for targeted national and local responses
- service models: application of gender-informed approaches - integration of national and local delivery - flexibility in meeting distinct needs - commissioning and clinical guidance
- public awareness and access: establishing trust in services and health literacy - improving the reach of public health information and targeting disengaged groups - digital access to information and services
- community and workplace roles: priorities for employers and local networks - utilising partnerships that extend service reach - examples of scalable practice - building on pilot programmes
- accountability and leadership: responsibilities across organisations - tools for assessing impact - use of data to inform policy and delivery - oversight and progress tracking
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those who attended include officials from the Department of Health and Social Care; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; HM Prison and Probation Service; Department of Education, NI; Department of Health, ROI; and the Welsh Government.
