A health minister has acknowledged that women are facing a zip code menopause treatment lottery where some family doctors don’t even know they can prescribe HRT.
Maria Caulfield told lawmakers that the standards were “somewhat inconsistent” and that patients in different parts of the country received “very different services.”
It also sparked outrage by announcing that plans to cut HRT prescription costs by up to £200 a year won’t go into effect until April.
The Department of Health announced in October that women can take HRT medication for a year for £9.35, the cost of a single NHS prescription.
The announcement came after a high-profile campaign backed by celebrities like Penny Lancaster and Davina McCall.
But Ms Caulfied told the House of Commons Committee on Women and Equality yesterday that technical difficulties had prevented the “prepayment document” for HRT from being implemented for more than a year.
Labor MP Carolyn Harris, who was on the committee and called for the free availability of HRT, said without delay she was “really, really, really uncomfortable” and warned that many women with severe menopausal symptoms are not bothered. Some will be able to cover the current costs that they can afford by committing suicide.
The Department of Health announced in October that women can take HRT medication for a year for £9.35, the cost of a single NHS prescription. (archive image)
The new system, expected to be introduced next year, will allow a woman to pay a one-time annual fee and take HRT without going to her GP every month. (archive image)
About 1.5 million women a year experience postmenopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, and mood swings.
About 150,000 of these are prescription HRT tablets, gels, creams or patches.
Current guidelines allow doctors to prescribe HRT for one year with a single prescription, fueling the continued shortage of supply that leads to black market trafficking.
The new system, expected to be introduced next year, will allow a woman to pay a one-time annual fee and take HRT without going to her GP every month.
Anne Connolly of the Royal College of Family Physicians said: “Women’s health is an important part. [our] Curriculum where all practitioners must demonstrate competence to practice independently in the UK.
Source: Daily Mail
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