London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Members of vaccine taskforce to be reassigned to HRT crisis

Members of vaccine taskforce to be reassigned to HRT crisis

Sajid Javid announces move after emergency meeting with manufacturers and pharmacists

The UK health secretary has promised to deploy more members of the vaccine taskforce to a new group set up to fix the acute shortage of hormone replacement therapy products for menopausal women, after holding crisis talks with HRT manufacturers and pharmacies.

At a meeting with drugmakers such as Aspen Pharmacare, Novartis, Novo Nordisk Pfizer, Theramex and representatives from community pharmacies, Sajid Javid said the government would “leave no stone unturned in our national mission to boost supply of HRT”.

Also present was the director general of the vaccine taskforce and recently appointed . She is spearheading a new HRT supply taskforce that will implement lessons learned from the rapid rollout of Covid-19 vaccines to improve the HRT supply chain. Some members of the vaccine taskforce will be redeployed to support this work.

She described Thursday’s discussions as “collaborative and constructive”, as manufacturers outlined the steps they were taking to boost supply, and shared their thoughts on wider solutions including improved communications.

Javid tweeted after the meeting:


The women’s health minister, Maria Caulfield, said: “I know HRT can be a lifeline for women suffering from severe menopause symptoms. We are doing everything in our power to make sure women can continue to access the HRT they need to continue living their life, unrestricted by the menopause.”

The National Pharmacy Association said it was looking forward to “working closely with government to help find a long-term solution to ensure good supply is available for our patients”.

Its director of corporate affairs, Gareth Jones, said: “It’s good that something is being done to grip the matter. The overarching issue is one of supply failing to keep up with the rapidly rising demand in this country.

“As experts in medicines, pharmacists should be given greater flexibility to take decisions at the point of care to manage supplies. This includes the authority to amend prescriptions or share stock among pharmacies when to do so could help maintain supplies.”

Soaring demand for HRT products among British women going through menopause has led to months of supply shortages and stories of women struggling to sleep or work effectively after being unable to obtain their prescriptions.

Some describe the surge in demand as the “Davina effect” after a documentary fronted by the TV presenter – Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause – that was broadcast on Channel 4 in May last year prompted thousands to seek prescriptions.

Javid has rationed supply, imposing “serious shortage protocols” on 29 April to limit the dispensing of Oestrogel, Ovestin cream and Premique Low Dose to three months’ supply per person to “even out” the distribution.

The government knew about the supply shortages as far back as October, according to Tina Backhouse, the UK manager for women’s health at Theramex, but ministers were focused on dealing with the Covid pandemic.

Prescriptions for HRT have more than doubled in England over the past five years, according to NHS data.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×