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18

Oct 2022

Last Updated: 18/10/2022
Health
Health

North Yorkshire spends twice as much as other areas on HRT, figures show

by Calvin Robinson

| 18 Oct, 2022
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Analysis by the BBC Shared Data Unit shows North Yorkshire spent more than twice as much on HRT than some other areas in England.

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GP surgery.

North Yorkshire spends nearly twice as much as other areas on Hormone Replacement Therapy for women aged between 45 and 60.

According to analysis by the BBC Shared Data Unit, North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group spent a total of £621,387.40 on the drug between April 2021 and June 2022.

The figure amounts to £12.04 per woman aged 45 to 60 in the county — more than double that of the lowest spend in Leicester at £5.56.

However, it is lower than the highest area in West Suffolk NHS, which spent £14.09.

The data comes as experts said the decision-making of local health boards had contributed to a postcode lottery and that some women were not being offered the full range of options because their local health board did not fund them.

HRT replaces hormones that are at a lower level approaching the menopause. Not every patient will need or want HRT, and clinicians advise against it in some circumstances, including for patients with a history of certain types of cancer or blood clots.

Diane Danzebrink, of the Menopause Support charity, said GPs' “hands were tied”.

She said:

“Often we will hear from women who are being prescribed oral tablets as a first line, and they’re not being offered options.
“Sometimes that is because those options are purely not available on their local CCG formulary. So that sort of ties the hands of their doctors to be able to offer them choices. But we do definitely see that it seems to be in some parts of the country rather than others."


An NHS England spokesperson said:

“The NHS has a Menopause Pathway Improvement Programme, which includes increased learning for clinicians in how they can best support menopausal women, and working with clinical colleges and menopause organisations to improve awareness and understanding.
“A new Menopause Optimal Pathway will also guide clinicians and help women in the workplace during peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause.”