APPG Meets Women’s Health Minister to Advance PCOS Recognition

The APPG on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) recently met with Baroness Merron, Minister for Women’s Health and Mental Health, to discuss its report Breaking the Cycle and the future of PCOS care within the renewed Women’s Health Strategy.

The Minister described the current moment as a “great opportunity” for women’s health reform and noted that the APPG’s findings strongly align with Government priorities. She also acknowledged the historic neglect of women’s health and the significant barriers faced by those with PCOS.

A key focus of the discussion was the need to move beyond a narrow reproductive framing of PCOS. The APPG emphasised that PCOS is a complex condition with endocrine and metabolic impacts, and Baroness Merron agreed that it should be recognised as a chronic, multisystem condition, with implications across the healthcare system.

The meeting also highlighted ongoing challenges, including long diagnostic delays, gaps in clinician knowledge, and fragmented care pathways. Baroness Merron pointed to the role of community-based services and the forthcoming NICE guideline on PCOS (2026) as opportunities to improve diagnosis and management.

Concerns were also raised about the visibility of PCOS in public information. While NHS Online is expanding its coverage of menstrual health conditions, PCOS is not currently named explicitly, underlining the need for greater recognition across policy and communications.

The discussion reflected a growing consensus that PCOS must be better recognised, understood and embedded within women’s health policy as a long-term, multisystem condition.

Breaking the Cycle: APPG on PCOS Report Launch - 8th September 2025

On Monday the 8th of September, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) hosted its first-ever Parliamentary Reception and Report Launch at the Thames Pavilion, Houses of Parliament.

The reception brought together MPs, Peers, clinicians, patient advocates, charities, NHS leaders, and policymakers to shine a spotlight on one of the UK’s most common but under-recognised health conditions.

Speakers included:

• Michelle Welsh MP, the Group’s Chair

• Dr Itunu Johnson-Sogbetun, GP and founder of the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Women’s Health Special Interest Group

• Rachel Morman and Caroline Johnson, patient speakers and representatives from Verity - the UK PCOS charity

Media Coverage

The report achieved significant national media reach:

• The Guardian featured quotes from Rachel Morman, Dr Itunu Johnson-Sogbetun, and Michelle Welsh MP, alongside a DHSC response.

• ITV News told the story through patient case studies, highlighting the call for a national diagnostic protocol.

• BBC Woman’s Hour and Channel 5 News provided further in-depth coverage.

About the Report

The APPG’s landmark report, Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Systemic Failures in PCOS Diagnosis and Management, is the first parliamentary report dedicated to PCOS.

The findings reveal delayed diagnosis, fragmented care, and unequal access to treatment across the UK.

WHAT’S nEXT

Next steps include:

• Coordinating follow-up meetings with key MPs, Peers and government officials to build parliamentary support.

• Supporting national and regional media outreach to keep PCOS in the public eye.

• Tracking progress and preparing future parliamentary activity, ensuring momentum is maintained beyond the launch.

This launch marks a historic milestone for women’s health. With PCOS affecting 1 in 8 women and those assigned female at birth, continued action and collaboration will be essential to ensure that PCOS is no longer overlooked and that every person living with the condition receives timely, compassionate, and effective care.

Inaugural General Meeting and First Inquiry session on PCOS Diagnosis - April 23rd 2025

On Wednesday 23rd April 2025`from 11:00-12:30 am, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on PCOS hosted two key events in Room Q and S: the Group’s first Inaugural General Meeting and a Diagnosis Oral Evidence Roundtable.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on PCOS held it's IGM, and there was a formal election of officers and the approval of the Group's income and expenditure statement for publication was agreed. Attendees included Anne Davies MP, Jess Brown-Fuller MP and Marie Goldman MP.

The following officers were elected:

• Michelle Welsh MP: Chair

• Kirsteen Sullivan MP: Officer

• Freddie van Mierlo MP: Officer

• Lord Jackson of Peterborough: Officer

An oral evidence roundtable was held, which looked at PCOS diagnosis and explored barriers to timely diagnosis of PCOS. The session was chaired by Freddie van Mierlo MP and the following people provided oral evidence:

• Professor Aled Rees, Cardiff University

• Caroline Andrews, Patient Speaker (Verity)

• Professor Adam Balen, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

• Dame Lesley Regan, Women’s Health Ambassador