NICE has issued a draft guideline for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS, that recommends an annual review for people living with the condition and could help speed up diagnosis and follow-up care in the NHS.
Annual checks and earlier recognition
The guidance says a simple yearly review would bring greater consistency to care and support earlier diagnosis and management. NICE says PMOS is common but often overlooked, and that the updated advice is intended to improve awareness among healthcare professionals and strengthen monitoring over time. NICE draft guideline
Marie Anne Ledingham, consultant clinical advisor for women’s and reproductive health at NICE, said the recommendation is an important step towards ensuring people receive ongoing care and monitoring. Sharon Manship, a lay member on the guideline committee, said her hope is that people with PMOS will be taken seriously, diagnosed earlier, and supported with evidence-based care from the outset.
Mental health and treatment considerations
NICE also highlights the wider impact of PMOS on mental health and quality of life. The draft says depression and anxiety are common across all ages in people with the condition, and that eating disorders disproportionately affect people with PMOS. It adds that these should not be dismissed solely on the basis of a person’s weight.
The draft guideline includes recommendations for treatments to address the underlying causes of hirsutism, but it does not recommend mechanical laser and light therapies for hair reduction. NICE says those therapies are not considered cost-effective for improving overall health and wellbeing, and estimates the NHS cost of recommending them could be up to £100 million a year in England.
Consultation period now open
The draft guideline is open for consultation from 1 July to 11 August 2026, with NICE expecting to publish the final guideline in December 2026. The update comes as part of a wider effort to improve diagnosis and care for a condition that can have a major impact on health and wellbeing. Read the full NICE news release
For patients and clinicians, the proposed annual review could offer a clearer pathway for monitoring symptoms, identifying complications earlier and ensuring care is more consistent across the NHS.
