Menopause Care Professional Diploma (MCPD)

The MCPD is open to healthcare professionals working in services to which patients are referred for more specialist menopause care. These might be, for example, secondary care services in hospitals or community-based gynaecology clinics or women's health hubs where patients are seen by referral.

Applicants must be independent prescribers.

The MCPD is an advanced level qualification which builds on the core learning in the Menopause Care Professional Certificate (MCPC).  Applicants to the MCPD are expected to have successfully completed the MCPC or have undertaken sufficient training and be able to use their knowledge, clinical skills, and experience to assess and manage individuals presenting for routine menopause care.

We currently recognise any of the following as sufficient training for the purpose of MCPD application:

• The FSRH Menopause Care Professional Certificate (MCPC)
• The FSRH Special Skills Module (SSM) in Menopause Care at a Basic Certificate level
• The BMS Certificate in the Principles and Practice of Menopause Care (PPMC) (please note that the PPMC Course alone is not sufficient)

All candidates are encouraged to be members of the FSRH in order to access the many resources and opportunities available to members. Any MCPD candidates who have not achieved the MCPC must be FSRH members.

Information on applying for Affiliate membership, for those who are not already FSRH members, can be found here.

Healthcare professionals from the UK or the Republic of Ireland who wish to undertake any FSRH training that does not involve direct contact with or treatment of patients in a UK health facility, will be required to be licenced and in good standing with the relevant UK or Irish regulatory body. For example, doctors wishing to undertake the MCPD with remote assessments will need to be registered with the General Medical Council or the Irish Medical Council.

Healthcare professionals from the UK or the Republic of Ireland who wish to undertake any FSRH training that involves direct contact with or treatment of patients in a UK health facility, will be required to be licenced and in good standing with the relevant UK regulatory body. For example, doctors from the UK or the Republic of Ireland wishing to undertake the MCPD in a UK health facility will need to be registered with the General Medical Council. 

We currently recognise the following regulatory bodies: 

• The General Medical Council (UK)
• Irish Medical Council
• The Nursing & Midwifery Council (UK)
• Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland
• General Pharmaceutical Council (UK)
• The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
• Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (UK)
• Health and Care Professions Council (UK)

Before you apply... 

You will need to secure a Principal Trainer before you formally apply. If you have not already identified a trainer in your place of work, please use our Find-a-Trainer platform to connect with a trainer who is suitably located to you or can provide remote training and assessment.

More information about our Find-a-Trainer platform can be found here.

Training may require you to travel to a Principal Trainer if one is not available to you locally. Please take the time, distance and costs associated with this travel into account before agreeing on where to do your training with your Principal Trainer. Alternatively, you might agree to remote training and assessment with your Principal Trainer.

How to apply

Once you have secured a Principal Trainer you will need to make an application and pay a top-up registration fee of £150 (which includes a non-refundable application fee of £75).

To view the application form, you will need to have a MyFSRH account. You can register for free or login to your existing account.

Apply for the Menopause Care Professional Diploma (MCPD)

What happens next?

Once you have applied, we will let you know by email within 21 working days whether you have been accepted. You may be contacted by a member of the team within this time if additional information or evidence is required.

If you are not accepted, you will receive an email and a refund on your payment (minus the £75 application fee).

If you are accepted, you will receive an acceptance email to provide you with the next steps. You will need to inform your Principal Trainer that you have been accepted and can proceed with training and assessment.

The curriculum for the MCPD details the required Capability in Practice (CiP) and 4 associated key skills required for the successful completion of the Diploma.

CiP 1. The healthcare professional is able to use their knowledge, clinical skills, and experience to independently assess and manage individuals being referred for specialist menopause care and complex menopause cases.

CiP 2. The healthcare professional is able to manage, develop and lead a multi-professional team delivering a Menopause Care Service and communicate with the wider medical community.

The MCPD includes the following key skills:

1. Able to assess menopause and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) in cases where the diagnosis is more difficult
2. Able to assess women with complex risk/benefit analysis and manage their menopause care
3. Able to assess and manage the menopause care of women who fail to settle on standard regimens
4. Able to manage and lead a multi-professional team delivering Menopause Care and communicate and work with a wider healthcare team

You must have a Principal Trainer who oversees all training and assessment aspects. Your learning and assessments are captured in an online portfolio that is accessible via the FSRH Training Hub. This portfolio is submitted when all required components have been evidenced by yourself and approved by your Principal Trainer.

For more specific information, please explore the ‘Learning’ and ‘Assessment’ tabs below. Please note that both learning and assessment activities may be carried out in person or remotely.