Doctors bracing for surge in demand for HRT because of ‘Davina McCall effect’
DOCTORS are bracing for a surge in demand for hormone replacement therapy because of the “Davina effect”.
A million Brits watched Davina McCall’s latest menopause documentary on Channel 4 on Monday and medics say phone lines are already buzzing.
GP Dr Philippa Kaye revealed one colleague took six calls on Tuesday morning alone from women asking about HRT.
Worried Sun readers are also writing to us in growing numbers in response to our Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign.
Women are terrified about shortages of the potentially life-changing therapy, which eases symptoms including hot flushes, brain fog and a loss of sex drive.
Dr Kaye, author of menopause book The M Word said: “There was a 30 per cent rise in demand for HRT in the month after Davina’s first documentary and I expect the same could happen again.
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“There is a known celebrity effect and it happened with cervical screening after Jade Goody passed away.
“Speaking to my colleagues at the end of our morning surgery on Tuesday, there was already an increase in demand of between 10 to 25 per cent. That’s just one morning.
“There is a huge amount of anxiety among my patients struggling to get HRT.
“People are ringing up asking if they should share or telling us they’ve been to 16 pharmacies and lost sleep because they’re so worried they are running out.”
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More than a million women in the UK are estimated to be on HRT and NHS figures show the number of prescriptions has doubled in five years from 238,000 in January 2017 to 538,000 in December 2021.
Ministers last week imposed a three-month prescription limit on some drugs, including popular rub-on treatment Oestrogel, in a bid to ease supply problems, which are expected to run into the summer.
Dr Paula Briggs, of the British Menopause Society, said: “Inevitably this programme is going to provoke a bit more attention on menopause and that’s a really positive thing.
“But we don’t want people who have no symptoms looking for HRT, particularly in the current situation when we have problems with access to some products.
“GPs are already overwhelmed.
“An increase in demand after the last programme led to supply issues but awareness was much lower before that one and it’s higher now.
“Most companies are looking carefully at how much is going off the shelves and how much they need to increase production, but it’s really hard to know.”
Promoting her new documentary, Davina blasted the idea that growing awareness is to blame for the shortage.
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She said: "This idea of blaming women – 'Oh more women are asking for it?' – drives me mad.
"There's been a gradual growth. You can easily plan production for that."
Fabulous Menopause Matters
An estimated one in five of the UK’s population are currently experiencing it.
Yet the menopause is still whispered in hush tones like it’s something to be embarrassed about.
The stigma attached to the transition means women have been suffering in silence for centuries.
The Sun are determined to change that, launching the Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign to give the taboo a long-awaited kick, and get women the support they need.
The campaign has three aims:
- To make HRT free in England
- To get every workplace to have a menopause policy to provide support
- To bust taboos around the menopause
The campaign has been backed by a host of influential figures including Baroness Karren Brady CBE, celebrities Lisa Snowdon, Jane Moore, Michelle Heaton, Zoe Hardman, Saira Khan, Trisha Goddard, as well as Dr Louise Newson, Carolyn Harris MP, Jess Phillips MP, Caroline Nokes MP and Rachel Maclean MP.
Exclusive research commissioned by Fabulous, which surveyed 2,000 British women aged 45-65 who are going through or have been through the menopause, found that 49% of women suffered feelings of depression, while 7% felt suicidal while going through the menopause.
50% of respondents said there is not enough support out there for menopausal women, which is simply not good enough. It’s time to change that.