Does the UK's New Men's Health Focus on Young Men Enough?

The Department of Health and Social Care has published England's first dedicated men's health strategy, drawing on nearly 6,600 submissions collected during a 12-week consultation earlier this year.

The report, titled 'Men's health: a strategic vision for England', offers a detailed picture of how men in the country experience healthcare and where they believe improvements are needed.

Mental health emerged as a major concern, with 46% of respondents identifying it as a priority.

Some 44% said they had difficulties accessing timely care, while a further 27% said that suicide prevention services need urgent attention.

Around one in four respondents said that clearer screening pathways would encourage men to seek support earlier.

Younger men absent from the evidence

The results of the survey have raised some questions, though, with experts scrutinising which demographics are shaping the strategy.

Some 79% of those who submitted evidence were aged between 45 and 84, with 94% identifying as white. Just 6% were under 35.

This demographic skew is hugely significant, given the fact that data from a 2024 Office for National Statistics survey showed that men aged 25–44 face a suicide rate of 20.5 deaths per 100,000 – only marginally below the 23.3 rate among men aged 45–64.

Dr Kultar Singh Garcha, an NHS GP and Chief Medical Officer at Flow Neuroscience, said the imbalance undermines the strategy's foundations.

"The Strategy tells us about the men who chose to take part, but younger men, the group most affected by suicide and untreated mental illness, are barely represented," Kultar says.

"When more than half of men say they avoided seeking help, we also need to think about the men who never enter the system at all," he adds.

Barriers to care remain entrenched

The report identifies several factors deterring men from seeking help, including difficulty securing appointments, lengthy waiting lists and discomfort discussing mental health with clinicians.

Only 32% of respondents said they knew where to turn during a mental health crisis.

Kultar argues that current NHS pathways are poorly suited to reaching men who struggle with traditional care models.

"Services continue to be built around men coming forward, even though the report shows many simply do not," he explains.

"Traditional models hinge on in-person appointments, long referral chains and medication-led care, despite these being the very factors men cite as barriers."

Pilots suggest alternative approaches

Earlier this year, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust trialled an at-home brain stimulation pathway for adults with depression using Flow Neuroscience's CE-certified transcranial direct current stimulation device.

The pilot targeted patients who find repeated appointments difficult or cannot tolerate antidepressants.

Clinicians reported that suicidal ideation among participants fell by two-thirds, with stronger engagement and fewer dropouts—particularly among men who had previously avoided treatment.

"The NHS already has early evidence that these approaches work, and policy now needs to build on it," Kultar suggests.

What should the NHS do to promote men's health?

The strategy will continue to develop through 2026, with NIHR-funded research focusing on men from underrepresented groups.

Whether the final framework translates consultation findings into practical access improvements remains to be seen.

The gap between identifying barriers and removing them will determine whether this strategy marks a genuine shift in how the NHS engages men – or simply documents the problem.