Which Doctor for Menopause: GP, Gynecologist or Specialist

For menopause symptoms, you usually start with your GP in the UK, or a primary care doctor or ob-gyn in the US. A menopause specialist comes in when the usual options do not help. Before the visit, log your symptoms in the symptom diary in Sam and bring the monthly report for the previous month as a PDF.

Menopause is not a disease, but its symptoms can still be hard to bring up in a short appointment. Below is who does what, how booking and referrals work in the UK and the US, and what to bring. Your own practice or health plan may have extra rules, so check with them too.

GP, gynecologist or menopause specialist: who does what?

In the UK, the GP is the usual start. The NHS says to contact your GP if you think you have menopause or perimenopause symptoms. That includes simply wanting to know your options. GP surgeries can also offer appointments with nurses, clinical pharmacists and other health professionals.

In the US, you can see your primary care doctor or an ob-gyn (obstetrician-gynecologist). The NIA, the US National Institute on Aging, says women concerned by symptoms should talk with a doctor. ACOG, the US college of ob-gyns, publishes a symptom tracker made for that conversation with your ob-gyn.

A menopause specialist is a clinician with extra training in menopause care. NICE, the guideline body for England, describes them as professionals who manage complex menopause needs or advise colleagues on them. In the UK, the British Menopause Society keeps a register of BMS-recognised specialists. You search it by postcode and can filter for NHS or private. In the US, The Menopause Society runs a searchable list of clinicians. It marks those who passed its exam for the MSCP credential.

How do you get a menopause appointment in the UK?

Book with your GP surgery in the NHS App, on the NHS website, through a form on the surgery's website, or at reception. The NHS says the surgery may ask what you need help with first. That helps them decide how soon you need to be seen and by whom.

Say it in one line. For example: "Menopause symptoms since spring: hot flushes, poor sleep, irregular periods." Hot flushes is the UK word for hot flashes.

To see a gynaecologist or another hospital specialist on the NHS, you need your GP. The NHS says you are entitled to ask for a referral. Whether you get one depends on what your GP thinks is clinically needed. You generally cannot refer yourself to a hospital specialist. A specialist will only see you with a letter from your GP. Even for a private specialist, the NHS advises getting a GP letter.

If your GP refers you in England, you may have the right to choose the hospital and the consultant-led team. For a non-urgent referral, the NHS says you have the right to start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks. That does not apply if you prefer to wait longer or a longer wait is clinically right for you. This is general information, not legal advice.

How does it work in the US?

It depends on your plan. HealthCare.gov says you can choose any available primary care provider in your plan's network. It also says OB-GYN care from a specialist in that network needs no referral from a primary care provider.

These rights do not apply to plans created or bought before 23 March 2010, called grandfathered plans. If you are not sure which kind you have, check your plan materials or ask your employer.

To find an ob-gyn, ACOG suggests asking your primary care doctor or using the find-a-doctor tool of your insurance plan or local hospital. Then call the office and ask whether they take your insurance. The Menopause Society adds location, insurance or Medicare, and telemedicine as points to check when you choose.

When does your doctor refer you to a menopause specialist?

NICE NG23, the menopause guideline used in England, lists these situations, among others:

• The options you tried do not improve your symptoms, or you have side effects that go on: refer.
• Hormone therapy is not suitable for you, or it is unclear which option fits best: consider a referral.
• You have a personal history or a high risk of breast cancer: offer a referral.
• There is doubt about very early menopause before 40, called premature ovarian insufficiency: refer.

In the US you can search for a specialist yourself. Whether your plan covers the visit is a question for your insurer.

Will you need a blood test?

Usually not from 45. NICE recommends identifying perimenopause from symptoms and periods, without lab tests, in otherwise healthy women aged 45 or over. Between 40 and 45, or under 40 when menopause is suspected, an FSH blood test may be considered. Your doctor decides. More in Menopause blood test: what FSH levels can tell you.

What should you bring to the appointment?

Notes, a medicine list and your questions. The Menopause Society points out that many visits last only around 15 minutes, so preparation counts. Bring:

• Notes on your symptoms over several weeks: which ones, how often, at what time of day, how strong.
• When each symptom started and what makes it better or worse.
• Your bleeding days and the gaps between periods.
• All your medicines, vitamins and supplements, and your contraception.
• Your two or three most important questions.

The NHS suggests most of these points and adds that you can bring a friend or family member. How to build the symptom notes is in Menopause symptom diary: what to track and for how long. What Sam keeps for the visit, and what it does not, is in the menopause overview. For the medicine part, see Medication list for your doctor: what to include.

An example with invented numbers: "Since March, hot flushes on 38 of 56 days and waking at night on 25. Periods 24 to 41 days apart. I would like to know my options and whether I need any tests." That fits into the first minute.

In Sam, you create the monthly report for the previous month yourself, from the 1st. It needs notifications, Apple Health access and an answer about chronic conditions. From the second report on, you also need your daily status (good, a bit off or sick) on at least 15 of the last 30 days. Symptom entries do not count toward that.

Which symptoms should not wait for a routine appointment?

Bleeding is the main one. The NHS says to contact your GP if you still have periods but now bleed more than before. Any vaginal bleeding after 12 months without a period needs a check too. That holds even if it happened once or was only spotting. Get it checked soon. In the US, ACOG says to take bleeding after menopause seriously and go to your ob-gyn. The NIA adds bleeding or spotting after sex or between periods.

If you take hormones, ask your doctor which bleeding to expect.

Palpitations need a check before they are put down to menopause; see Menopause: palpitations, anxiety and blood pressure. If they do not go away, or come with chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint or fainting, call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US). Do not wait for it to pass. In England, NHS 111 can help if you think you need medical help right now. It can direct you to the best place to get help.

Log your menopause symptoms in Sam before the appointment

You go into the appointment with an overview instead of gaps in your memory. From the 1st of each month, you can create the monthly report for the previous month. It shows your symptom days in a calendar and your most frequent symptoms.

• Instead of a sticky note: you log hot flashes or fatigue with a severity in the symptom diary. Sleep problems count as present. Each day keeps its date.
• Instead of guessing in the consulting room: sleep and resting heart rate from Apple Health sit in the same app.
• Instead of a folder: you file letters and lab reports from earlier visits in the Health Vault.

Sam keeps one entry per symptom per day, with no count or time; tests and options are for your doctor to decide. What Sam keeps through menopause is in the menopause overview.

Try Sam for free

Sam is a wellness companion, not a medical device. The app does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or health state. Always consult qualified professionals for medical decisions.

Related reading

• Menopause symptom diary: what to track and for how long
• Menopause: palpitations, anxiety and blood pressure
• Medication list for your doctor: what to include
• Doctor appointment checklist for a chronic condition
• Menopause blood test: what FSH levels can tell you
• Apple Watch and perimenopause
• Insomnia in menopause: what to note

Sources

Updated: October 2026

• NHS: Appointments and bookings at your GP surgery (page last reviewed 10 March 2023) and Referrals for specialist care (page last reviewed 12 April 2023)
• NHS: When to use 111 (page last reviewed 14 November 2022)
• NHS: Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause (page last reviewed 19 May 2026)
• NHS: What to ask your doctor or other healthcare professional (page last reviewed 12 January 2023) and Heart palpitations (page last reviewed 17 March 2026)
• NICE: Menopause: identification and management (NG23), recommendations 1.3.1 to 1.3.6, 1.5.26, 1.5.31, 1.9.3 and the premature ovarian insufficiency section (published 12 November 2015, last updated 15 April 2026)
• HealthCare.gov: Doctor choice and emergency room access
• ACOG: How to Find an Ob-Gyn, The Menopause Years (last reviewed December 2025) and Bleeding After Menopause Could Be a Problem (last reviewed February 2026)
• National Institute on Aging: What Is Menopause? (content reviewed 16 October 2024)
• The Menopause Society: Choosing a Healthcare Practitioner and Are You Asking the Right Questions to Make the Most of Your Menopause Healthcare Visit? (press release, 6 February 2024)
• British Menopause Society: Find a BMS-recognised menopause specialist