Lancaster University brought together a panel of experts in men’s health to map out a collaborative contribution to the government’s proposed Men’s Health Strategy.

The roundtable event, at the University’s flagship Health Innovation Campus, saw researchers, NHS colleagues, psychiatrists, coaches and public health leaders convene to discuss the issues which should come under the microscope.

The event came after the Department for Health and Social Care put out a call-for-evidence across the country for experts – and those with lived-experience of health issues particularly affecting men – to share their experience for the new strategy.

Professor Mark Limmer, Head of the Department of Health Research at Lancaster University and Professor of Adolescent Public Health, chaired the roundtable – assisted by Professor Alan White, Emeritus Professor of Men's Health at Leeds Beckett University and the world’s first professor of men’s health.

Professor Limmer said: “This call-for-evidence provided an opportunity to bring Lancaster’s academic community together with valued external partners from the NHS, public and third sectors, to focus on some of the health priorities which specifically affect men and should come within the purview of the new strategy.

“There are a number of clinical issues which particularly affect men, but some do not engage with services or may be more likely to engage in risky behaviours which negatively impact their health – although this is not true of all men, which is also important to understand.

“The group came up with some important points, across a whole range of areas, which we are now compiling to submit our official response for the strategy.

“However, we also recognised the value a group like this can have and its power to influence our local systems more urgently, so we are looking at ways to continue this partnership beyond the strategy submission and how we can begin working towards positive change in our local communities ahead of the publication of a national strategy.”

The meeting saw a number of focal points put forward by members of the group, including:

• The impact of sexual, cultural and ethnic identities within the concept of masculinity
• Enduring poor mental health and risky behaviours
• Lack of engagement – with health services and peer support
• Wider determinants of men’s health issues, including trauma and other social determinants
• Better communication and language to reach the underserved
• Ensuring practitioners are providing research-backed guidance
• Putting men at the heart of designing solutions
• Preparing for future pressures on men’s health

During the event, the value of a new strategy – and legislation to enforce healthy behaviours - was recognised with one member commenting: “Giving people personal responsibility can only take you so far. All the initiatives which have had a significant impact on improving population health have come through legislation.”

Members of the panel added that local and national government intervention could impact in areas such as planning to create healthier high streets, technology implementation, policing social media platforms, scaling-up solutions and ensuring a whole-system approach to tackling key issues.

Dr Amanda Seims, Health Evaluation Fellow from Lancaster University’s Health Partnerships Team – who convened the panel, added: “I would like to thank all the panellists for coming together to generously give their time and vision to this project.

“The responses I had when approaching people to get involved showed how important, and pervasive, people believe men’s health issues are. We will now provide a detailed response to the government based on the roundtable discussion.”