Record 2.6million women in England have taken HRT in the last year – a staggering rise of 12 per cent from 2022

A record 2.6 million women in England took HRT last year as celebrities raised awareness of drugs to alleviate menopause symptoms.

The figure was up 12 per cent from 2.3 million in 2022/23 and double the 1.3 million in 2018/19, according to new NHS data.

The number of prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy has also risen to a record high, with 13 million items prescribed in 2023/24. This is up a fifth on the previous year. HRT replaces the hormones oestrogen, progestogen, or both, in women going through the perimenopause or menopause.

It can relieve symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia and hot flushes, and is often administered as gels, creams, tablets and patches. The Mail has campaigned to improve access to HRT and several high-profile celebrities, including Penny Lancaster and Davina McCall, have spoken about how the menopause has affected them.

The NHS Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate has also been credited with increasing treatment uptake.

It costs £19.80 for 12 months and can save women money on prescriptions as they no longer have to pay for each one individually.

Some 14.5 per cent of prescription items in 2023/24 involved using the certificate, rising to 21 per cent in June 2024, compared with 9.7 per cent in June 2023.

According to the NHS website, the risk of developing serious side-effects on HRT are ‘very low’, although it can lead to a small increase in the risk of breast cancer.

Yesterday’s data revealed 100mg tablets of Utrogestan (a type of progesterone) accounted for the highest number of items prescribed in 2023/24, rising 42 per cent to 1.3 million items, up from 940,000 items in 2022/23.

Patients aged 50 to 54 were most likely to be prescribed HRT, with 640,000 people in this age group accounting for almost a quarter of all patients on HRT in 2023/34.

But the data also showed the wealthiest parts of England had more than twice as many patients receiving HRT compared with the most deprived areas.

Diane Danzebrink, founder of Menopause Support, said: ‘It is really encouraging to see… however, it is concerning that a clear divide still exists.’

Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who is chairman of the all party parliamentary group on menopause, told the Daily Mail she was ‘delighted’ with the figures, adding: ‘I very much welcome this rise in uptake of HRT, which can help relieve symptoms of the menopause.

Grassroots campaigning has raised awareness to the point where women now question if their symptoms are due to the menopause and seek out treatment.’