Leading UK doctors call for investigation into HRT shortage

[helvella]

Although off-topic, so many here are likely affected by this, I felt it appropriate to draw it to your attention. (Yes, I know the basic issue has been mentioned several times.)

Leading UK doctors call for investigation into HRT shortage

Government urged to set up working group as problem also begins to affect contraceptives

Leading doctors are calling on the government to set up an expert working group to investigate the reasons for the continuing shortages of hormonal treatment for women, which now appear to extend to some contraceptives as well.

Many women who need hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to alleviate severe symptoms of the menopause have been struggling to access their supplies for over a year, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the British Menopause Society and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) have said.

Full Guardian article freely available here:

theguardian.com/society/202...

This is not intended to be a discussion of individual circumstances, just to increase awareness. However, I would rather relevant comments could be made. Initially I shall not close it to replying, but if it goes into personal cases, I shall do so.

[DippyDame]

Not off topic at all!

Just another example of the madness that is "hormone treatment" be it thyroid or any other hormone.

"Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We understand how distressing medicine shortages are and we want to reassure patients we are doing everything we can to help them access treatments as soon as possible. We are working closely with suppliers and stakeholders to resolve this as soon as possible and continue to ensure we share relevant information across the NHS on a regular basis.” "

Talk is cheap! Action is what they will be judged on! At least they didn't use that hackneyed phrase "lessons will be learned"

Meanwhile - relating to members of this forum - thyroid patients continue to suffer not only from "shortages " of T3 but from medics who appear to have no understanding of the effect a lack of thyroid hormone has on patients.

Or lack of any hormone on any patient.

Cost and shortage reduce patients to a state of very poor health.....ah, but it's hormonal and must all be in our heads. How many women suffering from hormonal issues are directed to psychologists and prescribed antidepressants? Thankfully I'm not amongst that number.

Treat the cause not the consequence of inappropriate treatment!

It's time endocrinologists et al began to understand and appropriately treat women's hormonal issues....and for the powers that be to ensure they have the tools to do the job. Reference, this article.

Sick, unhappy women ( mothers, wives, employees and so on) do not a well balanced society make!

"They" forget that at their peril!

[Hillwoman in reply to DippyDame]

Excellent points DD.

[LindaC]

Thank you, again. I'm not affected either BUT see this as a potential sign of things to come over the next few months - year and beyond.

[Angel_of_the_North]

And a condom will protect against some STDs, which a pill won't.

[Nico101]

It affects me and I'm not a happy bunny. Anything that affects only women is always given a low priority, and the NHS should have got its act together and stocked up when the takeover was announced, as it should have been obvious other manufacturers would not be able to take up the slack.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Different generation - I'm from the "free love" era. When I was a teenager in the 60s and 70s we were lectured about STDs at school. I think younger people just got complacent when it became relatively easy to treat with a dose of antibiotics. Then, of course, came AIDS and then antibiotic resistance, so it's probably an issue again

[MichelleHarris in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

A bit off topic AofTN but sinister that govt. and medical profession promoting safe sex whilst knowingly buying infected blood to give to people who then unwittingly spread it. Now antibiotics becoming resistant x

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to MichelleHarris]

Some STDs (esp gonorrhea) have been antibiotic resistant for at least a decade.

[Gcart]

I was from a generation when crossing our legs was probably the only option , well in my set .

Thought I missed out but not sure with all the trouble it has brought. 🤫

Men definitely need to take more responsibility.

[Thompson36]

This has been going on far too long. Following a hysterectomy last Feb I was prescribed Everol 75 patches but due to side affects got switched to 50 mg. I was lucky enough to get my first 2 prescriptions but had to ring 6 different chemists for my third. On my fourth I was prescribed a generic brand that was of poor quality with the patches falling off and a repeat of side affects. I fell lucky on my last prescription after ringing around and managed to find some Everol again. I’ve started to eek these out by changing them every four days or sometimes 5 days. This really needs to be sorted now.

[Nico101]

You're right about MPs. Too many have their sticky little fingers in the pies.

I'm fairly new to all this, but I campaign a lot for medical cannabis and know an awful lot about the con that is the law making it illegal. Now it's apparently legal to prescribe... except no one is getting a prescription. Funny that.

What is not funny is Theresa Mays husband's involvement with GW Pharmaceuticals and Victoria Atkins' (was/is the drugs minister) involvement with British Sugar... and both of these companies make - you guessed it - medical cannabis. Between them these two companies grow tons of the stuff in secret locations in Wales and Norfolk. It's sold for ridiculous profit to the rest of the world, and Sativex (the one you can get on the NHS if you win the lottery) costs nearly £400 a month to the NHS (that's us taxpayers in reality) when it's basically a weed that you could grow and produce the same thing (minus the additives they use to allow a weed to be patented) for a few quid.

All perfectly legal in the corporate world. Yet some granny in Sussex grows a bit for her MS or arthritis and she can be jailed.

When new legislation is brought in about pretty much anything it always pays to look into who benefits. MPs should wear the logos of their corporate 'sponsors' on the jackets.

This country, and those that run it, stink of corruption and greed.

[TSH110]

The Telegraph claim the shortages are because the NHS has put fixed prices for certain drugs in place that are so low the drug companies will not supply them and are selling elsewhere for a market price. It would explain why there are no shortages except in the uk.