Genitourinary Syndrome of the Menopause SOP

What's inside

This standard operating procedure is fully drafted and structured, ready to brand and complete for your service. It covers:

• 1. Purpose
• 2. Scope
• 3. Definitions and abbreviations
• 4. Responsibilities
• 5. Asking about genitourinary symptoms
• 6. Assessment and examination
• 7. Treatment
• 8. Patients with a history of breast cancer
• 9. Urinary, pelvic floor and sexual wellbeing
• 10. Review and treatment that is not working
• 11. Safety netting and patient information
• 12. Records
• 13. Training and competence
• 14. Monitoring and audit
• 15. Related documents
• 16. Review and version control
• 17. Disclaimer

CQC fundamental standard

Legislation & standards it maps to

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline NG23, Menopause: identification and management (as last updated).
• NICE guideline NG112, Urinary tract infection (recurrent): antimicrobial prescribing; NICE guideline NG123, Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women: management; NICE guideline NG12, Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (as last updated).
• British Menopause Society (BMS) Consensus Statement, Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) (reviewed November 2025).
• General Medical Council (GMC), Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices; Remote consultations guidance; Intimate examinations and chaperones.
• Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, in particular Regulation 9 (Person-centred care), Regulation 10 (Dignity and respect), Regulation 11 (Need for consent), Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment), Regulation 13 (Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment), Regulation 17 (Good governance) and Regulation 20 (Duty of candour).
• Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
• Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, section 5B (inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015).
• Equality Act 2010.
• UK General Data Protection Regulation, Data Protection Act 2018 and the Records Management Code of Practice (2023).
• Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment framework: the five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led) and the quality statements of the single assessment framework, and the sector-specific framework for primary care and community services when it replaces them.

Who it applies to

All clinical and administrative staff, including self-employed and locum clinicians

Glossary

Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.

Aromatase inhibitor

A breast cancer tablet that lowers oestrogen to reduce the chance of recurrence.

BMS

British Menopause Society, the UK specialist menopause society.

CQC

Care Quality Commission, the regulator of health and social care in England.

DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone, a natural hormone given vaginally as prasterone.

Duty of candour

The Regulation 20 duty to be open with patients when care goes wrong.

Equality Act 2010

Law protecting people from discrimination, including on sex and gender reassignment.

FGM

Female genital mutilation, illegal injury to the female genitalia for non-medical reasons.

Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003

Law making FGM a crime; section 5B requires professionals to report FGM in girls under 18.

GMC

General Medical Council, the regulator of doctors.

GP

General practitioner, the patient's family doctor.

GPhC

General Pharmaceutical Council, the regulator of pharmacists.

GSM

Genitourinary syndrome of the menopause.

Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014

The fundamental standards CQC-registered providers must meet.

HRT

Hormone replacement therapy.

Human Medicines Regulations 2012

The main UK law on licensing, supplying and advertising medicines.

Lichen sclerosus

A long-term vulval skin condition needing diagnosis and specialist treatment.

MHRA

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the UK medicines regulator.

NG12

NICE guideline Suspected cancer: recognition and referral.

NG23

NICE guideline Menopause: identification and management.

NG112

NICE guideline Urinary tract infection (recurrent): antimicrobial prescribing.

NG123

NICE guideline Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women: management.

NICE

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

NMC

Nursing and Midwifery Council, the regulator of nurses and midwives.

Off-label

Using a licensed medicine outside its licence.

Ospemifene

A tablet acting like oestrogen on vaginal tissue.

Pharmacy medicine

A medicine sold without prescription under a pharmacist's supervision.

Postcoital bleeding

Vaginal bleeding after sex.

Prasterone

A vaginal DHEA pessary for vaginal dryness and painful sex.

Records Management Code of Practice (2023)

National guidance on keeping health records.

SERM

Selective oestrogen receptor modulator.

SmPC

Summary of Product Characteristics, a medicine's official licensed information.

SOP

Standard Operating Procedure.

STI

Sexually transmitted infection.

UK GDPR

UK General Data Protection Regulation, with the Data Protection Act 2018 the law on personal data.

Urogynaecology

The specialty for bladder problems and prolapse in women.

UTI

Urinary tract infection.

Visible haematuria

Blood in the urine that can be seen.

VTE

Venous thromboembolism, a blood clot in a vein.

Vulvodynia

Persistent vulval pain without a visible cause.

Yellow Card scheme

The MHRA system for reporting side effects.

How it works

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2. Download your editable Word file from the link we email you straight away.
3. Complete the placeholders for your service, then have it approved before use.
4. Add the optional updates subscription and we keep it current as guidance changes.