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• Since April last year, half a million women in England have benefitted from cheaper hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help with menopause symptoms
• The HRT prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are part of a wider scheme of government initiatives to bolster support for women experiencing negative menopause symptoms, as part of its world-leading Women鈥檚 Health Strategy听
• More than 拢11 million saved by women using the PPC in last 9 months

Since launching on 1 April last year, more than 500,000 women in England have accessed cheaper HRT - the main treatment for negative menopause symptoms - helping to save hundreds of pounds in prescription charges.

A key pillar of the first year of England鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Health Strategy, which made menopause a priority area, the HRT PPC reduced prescription costs to just 拢19.30 per year. It can be used against a list of eligible HRT items that includes patches, tablets and topical preparations. Patients can use the HRT PPC as many times as needed throughout the year.

Making HRT more accessible through reducing its cost is one way the government is making menopause support more readily available to women. This year, the government has also successfully tackled supply issues听by working with suppliers to encourage and support听them听to meet growing demand.

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said:

I am determined to make access to healthcare faster, simpler and fairer. Better access to HRT will improve the lives of millions and gives women the freedom to take control of their symptoms.听

This is a huge milestone and shows how successful our Women鈥檚 Health Strategy is in delivering the outcomes women want and deserve.

Minister for Women鈥檚 Health Strategy Maria Caulfield said:

Every woman is different and so it鈥檚 essential we make sure all women can access the right medication that works for them.

Many women often need to try a few different types of HRT to get the right medication that works for them. By reducing the price of HRT to under 拢20 for a year鈥檚 supply, we鈥檝e made it more equitable for women to go on living their normal lives.

Our Women鈥檚 Health Strategy continues to deliver on what women want.

Women experiencing the menopause will also benefit from the establishment of women鈥檚 health hubs in local health areas across the country.

As a result of the government investment of 拢25 million, women鈥檚 health hubs will improve women鈥檚 access to care, improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. The government aims to establish at least one women鈥檚 health hub in every local area this year, enabling better access and quality of care in services for menstrual problems, contraception, pelvic pain, menopause care and more.

Professor Dame Lesley Regan, the Women鈥檚 Health Ambassador for England, said:

When we created this strategy, we made it clear it would improve women鈥檚 health outcomes - 500,000 women accessing affordable HRT is a clear, tangible result of just that.

Menopause is an inevitable stage of every woman鈥檚 life, so receiving second-rate care for a predictable problem is not acceptable.

The HRT PPC is a fantastic way of giving more women access to treatment and our women鈥檚 health hubs will provide women experiencing severe menopause symptoms advice from a healthcare professional.

NHS England will continue its work to improve menopause care by piloting new guidance for nurses, GPs and other staff to better recognise and treat menopause symptoms, with integrated care systems (or primary care teams) in the Midlands region.

Michael Brodie, Chief Executive of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), which is responsible for delivering this service, said:

This significant milestone highlights the crucial role this service provides for patients who rely on HRT, allowing them access to their medication at a reduced cost.

Menopause can impact on all areas of a women鈥檚 life. The government has appointed听Helen Tomlinson as the government鈥檚 first Menopause Employment Champion, and has awarded听grant funding to charities across England to help employers make changes to their workplace to support women鈥檚 reproductive health, which includes menopause.

How to use the PPC

There are a few different ways to get the听HRT听PPC:

• 听

• in person at some pharmacies

• if you鈥檙e deaf or hard of hearing, you can use the textphone (or minicom) to contact NHSBSA听using the text relay service. Dial 18001 then the relevant phone number

• NHSBSA听also offers a telephone translation service and can provide documents in large print or Braille on request

For help and support, patients can call 0300 330 2089.

To use your听HRT听PPC, ask your prescriber for your听HRT听items on a separate prescription to any other medicines you are prescribed (one prescription per item). This ensures the prescription can be processed correctly at the pharmacy.

Take your prescriptions and听HRT听PPC听to a pharmacy and use it as many times as you need over 12 months.

Before getting the听HRT听PPC:

• check that you鈥檙e not already eligible for听听using the eligibility checker on the听NHSBSA听website

• check that your medicine is covered by the听HRT听PPC听- see the听

• check whether a听听is more suitable for you - it covers all NHS prescriptions, not just听HRT听items, and may be more cost-effective if you are prescribed other medicines as well as听HRT

The听HRT听PPC听will be valid for 12 months and there is no limit on the number of times the certificate is used before it expires. You do not need to get it on 1 April - get it just before your next prescription to maximise your use of it over the year.