Just over half (51%) of those living in Brentwood and Ongar constituents are women, which means there are several thousand constituents who are experiencing symptoms of, or have gone through, the menopause.
In the first year of the Government’s Women’s Health Strategy, an issue which has frustrated many of my constituents who have been prescribed Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the cost of prescriptions.
HRT relieves menopause and perimenopause symptoms, and can also reduce the risk of hormone-related health problems including osteoporosis and heart disease. It can take a while to find the right type and dose of HRT to improve symptoms, and check-ups are needed before each prescription is renewed, so some women are having to pay significant amounts for their medication each year.
The Government has listened to women and from this month women experiencing symptoms of the menopause can access and HRT Pre Payment Certificate which will reduce prescription costs to just £19.30 per year and can be used against a list of eligible HRT items which includes patches, tablets and topical preparations. Patients can use the HRT PPC as many times as they need across the year.
This new scheme to reduce the cost of HRT sits alongside the work that DHSC is continuing to do with suppliers to ensure that supply of HRT products is able to meet growing demand.
You can apply for an HRT PPC online here: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/hrt-ppc or call 0300 330 2089 for help and support. If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can use textphone (or minicom) to contact the NHS Business Services Authority via the Text Relay service. Dial 18001 then the help number above.
