aHealth Secretary Sajid Javid has pledged to act to help break the menopause taboo and give women greater support.
The Government announced a package of measures in response to calls to exempt hormone replacement therapy (HRT) from NHS prescription charges in England – bringing it into line with Wales and Scotland – and to improve education and support.
Ministers want to reduce the cost of repeat prescriptions in England for HRT by introducing longer prescribing cycles.
This would mean women would pay one charge for up to a 12-month supply of HRT, saving up to £205 per year.
Penny Lancaster wipes a tear from her eye as she talks to the media about the menopause outside the Houses of Parliament in London during a protest against ongoing prescription charges for HRT (Hormone replacement therapy).
Steve Parsons
A menopause task force is also to be established in a bid to “take a coherent approach to improving support” for those experiencing the menopause, health minister Maria Caulfield said.
The commitments came as MPs considered the Menopause (Support and Services) Bill, which was tabled by Labour MP Carolyn Harris (Swansea East).
But Ms Harris withdrew her Bill following assurances from the Government, telling the Commons: “Wonderful women thank you.
“What’s happened today is only the beginning, I know, but we can do such great things together because that’s what it’s all about, is looking after the women.”
Mr Javid earlier intervened to signal his intention to co-operate with MPs of all parties after shadow health minister Liz Kendall spoke of her own experiences of the menopause.
Davina McCall speaking to protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in London demonstrating against ongoing prescription charges for HRT (Hormone replacement therapy).
Steve Parsons
Ms Kendall detailed experiencing a “terrifying sense of anxiety and panic” after the symptoms started, the exhaustion and aches, hair loss and night sweats, before finding information which could guide her to “getting the old me back”.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Javid said of Ms Kendall: “I think every word she has said will resonate with millions of people across the country for exactly the reasons she has set out.
“I think it’s powerful to hear from her about her personal experiences, and I do hope, especially after this debate but going forward, that the whole House can co-operate and do much more to help with this.”
Ms Kendall had said MPs were “giving a voice” to the 13 million menopausal and perimenopausal women in the country “whose needs have been downplayed or ignored for too long”.
Mariella Frostrup (centre) with protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in London demonstrating against ongoing prescription charges for HRT (Hormone replacement therapy).
Steve Parsons
She said: “To be honest, I’m not really sure when the symptoms started but they had been building steadily over the last year.
“The quite frankly terrifying sense of anxiety and panic that I had never, ever experienced before.
“Feeling completely and utterly exhausted, sore and aching all over, wondering in the evening if I could make it up the stairs to go to bed – let alone do the exercise that’s always been such an important part of my life.
“The itching, the hair loss, and just feeling downright low, and above all what I can only describe as the catastrophically bad sleep night after night after night – finally emerging in the morning drenched in sweat thinking ‘How on earth am I going to make it through the day?’
“And, like so many women, I had absolutely no idea what was going on.”
Ms Kendall said the “penny finally dropped” after a friend recommended her to visit a menopause website, adding: “This was something real, something really was happening, it had a name and there was something that I could do about it that might start gradually getting the old me back.”
She added that she has had a “really good experience” with her GP and received her first HRT prescription last week, but acknowledged millions of other women are “nowhere near as lucky”.
Conservative MP Nickie Aiken (Cities of London and Westminster) said the menopause can be a “very lonely place” and thanked her husband for his support as she spoke of the need for more education for GPs and in the workplace.
She paid tribute to Mr Javid, adding: “I spoke to him last week, I spoke to him earlier today, and he absolutely supports us in our wish to break down the taboos of the menopause and do more for women.”
