Twice as much HRT prescribed in wealthier regions

WOMEN in wealthy areas are twice as likely to get access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), official data show.

The figures, which suggest that the middle-classes benefit most from the so-called “Davina effect”, has prompted the NHS’S first national director for women’s health to call for action.

Dr Sue Mann said women should not have to be “sharp elbowed” to obtain therapy, calling on GPS in all parts of the country to respond promptly if female patients came to them for help.

Documentaries by TV presenter Davina Mccall about the menopause have been credited with raising awareness of the help on offer.

Health service data covering the period from December 2022 to November 2023 show twice as many HRT prescriptions issued in the richest areas, compared with the poorest. The figures show an average of 1633 prescription items issued per 1,000 women aged 45 to 60 in the most affluent areas, while 841 were issued in the poorest places.

England’s wealthiest areas are spending £27,000 per 1,000 middle-aged women on HRT, while the poorest areas spent an average of £13,500.

Those wealthy areas scoring highly include Bath and Wokingham South, both in the top 10 per cent in affluence. Each spends more than £35,000 per 1,000 middle-aged women on HRT. At the bottom were areas of Birmingham which spend less than £3,000 per 1,000 women, with spending of £3,800 to £6,000 in parts of Bradford and Bolton. The data also show those in least diverse areas were most likely to access HRT.

Health chiefs said prescribing of HRT has risen sharply in the past year, with a 29 per cent rise in women taking it.

Dr Mann, who has just been appointed as the NHS’S first national clinical director for women’s health, said the rise in prescriptions reflected a sharp rise in awareness. She said: “Women shouldn’t have to be sharp-elbowed when it comes to accessing support for something which affects half of the population.”