Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) barriers faced by area prescribing committees in reviewing new treatments for the menopause and (b) impact of area prescribing committee backlogs on patient access to treatment.

No specific assessment has been made. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a guideline on the diagnosis and management of menopause that includes recommendations on the use of hormone replacement therapies (HRT). NICE’s guideline is currently being updated. It is for clinicians in discussion with their patients and taking account of NICE guidance to take decisions on the prescribing of HRT. NICE aims to publish recommendations on the clinical and cost effectiveness of all new medicines approximately at the time of licensing. National Health Service commissioners are legally required to fund medicines positively appraised by NICE.