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The number of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescriptions in England increased by 11 per cent in 2024-25 compared with the previous year, according to the latest figures from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA).

The data showed 14.7 million HRT items were prescribed in 2024-25 and the number of “identified” patients receiving them also increased from 2.6 million in 2023-24 to 2.8 million. In 2015-16, 1,030,000 patients were prescribed 3,130,000 items.

The product with the highest number of items prescribed in 2024-25 was Estradiol 0.06% gel with 1.3 million items, an increase of 13 per cent since 2023-24.

The NHS BSA said the least deprived areas of the country “had more than twice as many identified patients receiving HRT prescribing compared to the most deprived areas”.

A HRT prescription prepayment certificate, which covers NHS prescriptions for a set price, was used for 21 per cent of HRT items.

In 2024-25, 11.3 million items for female sex hormones and their modulators were prescribed compared with 10.2 million items in 2023-24. About 1.96 million patients were prescribed at least one item in 2024-25 compared with 1.84 patients in 2022-23.

In 2024-25, 3.31 million preparations for vaginal and vulval changes items were prescribed compared with 2.9 million items in the previous year. About 1.05 million patients were prescribed at least one item in 2024-25, an 11 per cent increase on 2023-24 when 941,000 million patients were prescribed an item.