Men’s Health: How to improve health outcomes, knowledge, and behaviours (Healthwatch England, 5 November 2025)

Summary

This report sets out the findings of new research conducted by Healthwatch England to inform the Government’s first-ever men’s health strategy for England. They commissioned a nationally representative poll of 3,575 men aged 18+ in June 2025 and also drew on local Healthwatch engagement, with men from diverse backgrounds, spanning a wide range of ages, ethnicities, occupations, and areas. 

Content

NHS Health Checks

Key findings

• Only 37% of eligible men (aged 40 to 74 and with no long-term conditions) said they had ever been invited to an NHS Health Check.
• 56% of men who’d attended a check had made lifestyle changes.
• 92% of men who’d gone for a check would take up a future invite.

Key recommendations

• Provide stronger direction and oversight to improve the number of invites issued, uptake rates and consistency across local authority areas.
• Collect and publish demographic-specific uptake data, to track how many men attend and analyse which characteristics affect uptake
• Launch an awareness campaign about the Check and encourage tailored outreach to underserved men and those at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Prostate cancer screening

Key findings

• 79% of all men (including 81% of Black men) said they would be likely to attend prostate screening if the NHS introduced it routinely.
• Only 36% of men aged 50 and over had asked their GP for a PSA test
• Seven per cent of those who’d asked for a PSA test had been refused (though caution is advised on this statistic given it is a low sample)

Key recommendations

• Policymakers should consider men’s views, alongside clinical and economic evidence, when deciding on whether to introduce a national prostate cancer screening programme.
• Issue clear, consistent guidance for the public and GPs on whether asymptomatic men aged 50 and older can receive, or only request, a PSA test.

Mental Health

Key findings

• 52% of men said they would visit their GP, and only one-in-five (20%) would self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies if they experienced mental health issues.
• Men were significantly less likely than women to turn to their friends and family for mental health support (38% vs 45%).

Key recommendations

• Mental health support should remain varied with a ‘no wrong door’ approach to suicide prevention and improve referrals pathways from the third sector.
• Improve awareness of NHS talking therapies, including clearer information on how data is handled. Data should also be disaggregated between self- and GP referrals, to understand where to target changes in behaviour to improve uptake

Health literacy

Key findings

• One in 10 men use AI, like ChatGPT, for health information; but mostly used the NHS.
• Men mostly want to receive information from the NHS via email and the NHS App.

Key Recommendations

• Create a men’s health page on the NHS website, raise awareness of spotting and avoiding online misinformation and develop health literacy from a younger age.

Priorities for change

Key findings

• Better GP access is the top priority for change in the NHS for men; they want to see the same GP for new and ongoing physical and mental health problems and would wait longer for an appointment to do so.

Key recommendations

• The new strategy should focus on continuity of care, where clinically appropriate