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18
Oct 2022
North Yorkshire spends twice as much as other areas on HRT, figures show
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:
An NHS England spokesperson said:
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