TO BE PUBLISHED January 2027
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This conference will examine next steps for improving men’s health and wellbeing in England. Areas for discussion include gender-responsive commissioning and service design, research and diagnostics, cancer prevention and care, and next steps for men’s mental health and suicide prevention in the context of the forthcoming mental health strategy. We expect a focus of discussion to be supporting young men and working-age men, as well as the relationship between employment, economic participation and health outcomes.
The conference will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to consider priorities following the establishment of the Men’s Health Academic Network and early implementation of England’s first Men’s Health Strategy. Delegates will assess implementation progress so far, its integration within the Government’s wider 10 Year Health Plan for England and the role of sex-disaggregated data in identifying and monitoring men’s health concerns.
The planned agenda will examine priorities for prevention, research, diagnostics and early intervention, following publication of the National Cancer Plan for England and the Government's acceptance of the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation for a targeted prostate cancer screening programme, ahead of its rollout in 2027.
Attendees will discuss approaches for supporting men’s primary care access, strengthening men’s engagement with services and uptake of NHS Health Checks, and addressing questions relating to workforce capacity, GP continuity and public health budgets. Options for improving engagement among disadvantaged and vulnerable groups will also be considered, alongside the role of community outreach and neighbourhood health services in reducing barriers to care. In addition, the impact of place-based approaches on improving access for men in coastal communities, deprived urban and rural areas will be discussed.
Effective approaches for integrated care systems, local authorities and public health teams in embedding men’s health improvement across the country through gender- responsive commissioning will also be discussed, considering the interaction of men’s and women’s health priorities, and how their respective strategies might be aligned.
Further sessions will consider next steps for improving men’s mental health, suicide prevention and wider wellbeing, including specific challenges facing young men and working-age men experiencing economic inactivity. Discussion will consider the role of community organisations, peer support networks, employers and workplace health initiatives in improving engagement, reducing stigma and supporting earlier intervention, alongside approaches to measuring outcomes and strengthening accountability of mental health support.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- next steps for implementation of the Men’s Health Strategy for England:
- early progress since publication - forthcoming one-year-on implementation report - translating ambitions into sustainable action across health systems
- embedding men’s health within ICSs, local authorities and public health structures and within the 10 Year Health Plan - accountability and oversight
- moving beyond standalone initiatives towards mainstream commissioning approaches
- the relationship between men’s and women’s health strategies - gender as a determinant of health
- gender-responsive commissioning and place-based approaches:
- pharmacy-first approaches, community outreach and neighbourhood health services - strengthening men’s engagement with services
- variation in outcomes across communities - inequalities affecting those living rurally and within coastal communities, former industrial areas, and deprived urban areas
- implications of the Men's Health Community Fund - investment in community-based programmes targeting those least likely to engage with traditional services - evaluation and scaling what works
- prevention, research, diagnostics and early intervention:
- creating a culture of openness - priorities for prostate, cardiovascular and other conditions which have significant impacts on men
- improving men’s engagement with primary care, NHS Health Checks and preventative services
- healthier behaviours and prevention - alcohol and substance misuse - links with mental and physical health - access to treatment and recovery support
- preparing for targeted prostate cancer screening from 2027 - identification of eligible men, BRCA2 testing and identification pathways, capacity and equity of access
- addressing barriers, such as delayed presentation and reduced service uptake - balancing innovation, risk stratification and access
- implications of the National Cancer Plan aims for reducing inequalities in access to diagnosis and treatment
- delivery constraints - workforce capacity, GP continuity and public health budgets
- data, evidence and measurement of progress:
- role of the Men’s Health Academic Network - evidence-informed approaches - sex-disaggregated data
- accountability frameworks - measurable outcomes - assessment of progress towards long-term ambitions
- mental health, suicide prevention and wellbeing:
- strengthening suicide prevention - access to gender-responsive mental health support
- addressing specific challenges facing young men and working-age men - social isolation, stigma and economic inactivity
- pathways between NHS services, community organisations, peer support networks and voluntary sector providers
- health, employment and economic participation:
- the relationship between men’s health, economic inactivity, workforce participation and productivity - prevention and early intervention
- employer-led support networks - role of employers, occupational health services and workplace-based initiatives
- collaboration between health services, local government and communities in improving reach and sustainability
