There was a 35 per cent increase in the number of items prescribed for HRT in England between 2020-21 and 2021-22, according to the latest official figures.

The NHS Business Services Authority said 7.80 million items were prescribed in 2021-22 when 1.93 million identified patients received HRT. That was a 30.5 per cent increase on the 1.48 million patients prescribed HRT in 2020-21.

The lowest number of patients prescribed HRT was found in areas of greater deprivation but overall, nearly twice as many patients were prescribed items in the least deprived parts of the country compared with the most deprived.

The data also revealed 76.6 per cent of patients from the most deprived areas prescribed HRT were under the age of 60 while 64.6 per cent of under-60s were from the least deprived areas.

In 2021-22, 5.75 million female sex hormones and their modulators items were prescribed, a 41.1 per cent increase from the 4.07 million items during 2020-21. An estimated 1.36 million patients were prescribed at least one female sex hormones and their modulators item in 2021-22, a 38.8 per cent increase from the 983,000 patients in the previous year.

The figures revealed 1.98 million female sex hormones and their modulators items were prescribed between April and June 2022, 804,000 more items than in the same period in 2021.

There were 2.05 million preparations for vaginal and vulval changes items prescribed in 2021-22, a 20.4 per cent increase on the 1.71 million items prescribed during the previous year.

About 682,000 patients were prescribed at least one preparation for vaginal and vulval changes item in 2021-22. That was a 22.6 per cent increase on 556,000 patients in 2020-21.

Between April and June 2022, 587,000 million preparations for vaginal and vulval changes items were prescribed, which was 116,000 more items on the same period in 2021.

Of all the Integrated Care Boards, North-East London ICB had the lowest number of patients who received at least one HRT item per 1,000 residents in 2021-22, with 17 patients per 1,000. Dorset ICB had the highest with 50 patients per 1,000.