Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts and Integrated Care Boards on ensuring timely access to specialist care and treatment for women experiencing complications associated with hormone replacement therapy.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline on the identification and management of menopause includes guidance for healthcare professionals on the prescribing of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The guideline includes guidance on reviews for women receiving treatment for menopause and recommends that women should be referred to a healthcare professional with expertise in menopause if treatments do not improve their menopause-associated symptoms or they have ongoing side effects.

These NICE guidelines represent best practice and support clinicians in the assessment, management, and treatment of menopause symptoms and associated complications. Healthcare professionals are expected to take these guidelines fully into account in their prescribing decisions. The guideline is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23

HRT is the main treatment for menopause symptoms, and NICE recommends that for most women it is safe and effective. It is important, however, that women are provided with accurate information and are able to make informed choices about their care, including HRT and that healthcare practitioners take a personalised approach when discussing treatments, using evidence-based information tailored to individuals’ circumstances.