Somerset NHS Menopause Service
Find out more information on the service, our webinars and if you can be referred into the The Somerset NHS Menopause Service.
This service is a pilot scheme which has been extended to March 2026. (Started in 2022)
Watch the latest menopause webinar here
Learn how you can thrive during your menopause transition, and what resources are available in Somerset to help support you in this recorded webinar with Dr Juliet Balfour.
My Local Health Services
The majority of women will have some menopausal symptoms in midlife, lasting on average for around seven years. These can be physical and/or psychological symptoms and can have a severe impact on quality of life for some women.
One in ten women who have worked during the menopause have left a job due to their symptoms. This is also a peak time for relationship breakdowns and even suicide in women.
There has been a lot of discussion about the effects of the menopause recently, but we know that some women still struggle to get access to timely and evidence-based menopause care.
There are still many myths about who can and can’t have HRT, based on outdated research from 20 years ago. Some women are still being denied HRT unnecessarily. Others may suffer many different symptoms over years before someone joins the dots and realises that lack of oestrogen is the root cause.
About the Somerset NHS Menopause Service
The service aims to improve the quality of life and long-term health of mid-life women in Somerset by providing specialist menopause advice to Somerset GPs, and assesses complex patients via face-to-face appointments if needed.
The service started seeing patients in April 2022 and funding has now been extended until the end of March 2026.
Women can be referred to the service via their GP if:
- they have a complicated medical history and the GP is not sure if HRT is suitable for them
- they are struggling to find the right HRT option
- they need advice on other options if they don’t want to, or are unable to, take HRT
- they have a low libido despite being well established on a suitable dose of oestrogen through the skin and want to consider the option of adding in testosterone
Meet the Team
Dr Juliet Balfour
Dr Juliet Balfour developed and runs the Somerset NHS Menopause Service. She has been a GP for over 30 years and is a British Menopause Society accredited menopause specialist and trainer with the Advanced Certificate in Menopause Care
Dr Sophie Aldridge
Dr Sophie Aldridge is an experienced GP with a keen interest in women’s health and a special focus on the management of menopause. She is passionate about providing a holistic patient-centred approach for women entering this phase of life. She holds the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (DRCOG) and is soon to become a British Menopause Society recognised Menopause Specialist with the Advanced Certificate in Menopause Care.
Dr Aldridge was educated at Oxford University and completed her medical training at St George’s University in London. She is currently working as a GP at Glastonbury Surgery and alongside Dr Juliet Balfour in the Somerset NHS Menopause Service.
How can I access help?
Most women with menopausal symptoms can be managed by their GP.
If you are having difficulty accessing HRT and meet the referral criteria listed here, you can ask your GP to write to Dr Balfour for advice or, if indicated, a face-to-face appointment at the clinic, based at the Glastonbury Surgery.
For more information on how you can access help via your GP and for useful resources around the menopause click here.
We have also compiled a document of free resources for you here.
Menopause Webinars
The menopause webinars for Somerset patients have proved popular. They have provided advice on a range of topics, helped correct misinformation around the menopause and discussed the importance of lifestyle issues.
Watch the latest menopause webinar here
Learn how you can thrive during your menopause transition, and what resources are available in Somerset to help support you in this recorded webinar with Dr Juliet Balfour.
Watch our previous webinars
Educating Healthcare Professionals
As part of the service, we will also be providing in-person and virtual training for GPs, nurse practitioners and nurses working in primary care around the many menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms to look out for and the safe prescribing of HRT. Increased education and training will help raise awareness amongst healthcare professionals in Somerset of the huge and long-lasting impact of the menopause on women’s health.
For more information on how you can access help via your GP and for useful resources around the menopause visit:
We have also compiled a document of free resources for you here: