WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOUR DOCTOR WON’T PRESCRIBE IT

MOST women do not experience problematic menopausal symptoms. For those who do, the first port of call is usually their GP.

However, GPs’ advice to women about HRT is ‘not consistent around the country’, according to Dr Heather Currie, a spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and former chair of the British Menopause Society.

If you don’t get the help you need, ask the surgery receptionist if you can see a GP in the practice with an interest in women’s health, suggests Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, head of the Royal College of GPs. This is a GP who has taken extra training in women’s health, and most — but not every — surgery will have one, she says.

Before seeing your GP, read up on the NICE guidance, which, as well as explaining that you don’t need blood tests to be prescribed HRT, recommends asking your GP questions such as: What types of treatment are suitable for my particular symptoms? Are complementary therapies safe to take alongside other treatments? This is to help identify the best form of treatment for you.