Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support women who require hormone replacement therapy medication for management of long-term health conditions.

We recognise the significant impact that menopause symptoms can have on women’s health, wellbeing, and daily lives. Improving support for women experiencing menopause is an important part of the Government’s wider work on women’s health.

The hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescription prepayment certificate covers eligible HRT medicines containing oestrogen and/or progesterone that are licensed for the treatment of menopause. It is valid for 12 months, costs £19.80, and can reduce costs for patients who need more than one prescription.

As announced in October, local authorities will be asked to include menopause in the NHS Health Check later this year. This will signpost eligible women in England to information on menopause, including symptom management, support, and diagnosis. Menopause and menstrual health conditions will also be priorities for the National Health Service’s new online hospital, due to launch next year, to improve access to specialist care.