TV medic defends herself against claims she prescribes too-high doses of HRT

A TV menopause doctor has defended herself against accusations that she prescribes too-high doses of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to women in her private clinics.

Dr Louise Newson, who is a member of the Government’s Menopause Taskforce and has appeared alongside celebrities including Davina McCall to raise awareness of symptoms, said her clinics treat “every patient on an individualised basis.”

It comes after an investigation by BBC’s Panorama into patient concerns about high-dose HRT.

The health regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has also said it is investigating “information of concern” relating to Dr Newson’s clinics, known as Newson Health.

The British Menopause Society told the PA news agency it had removed Dr Newson from its “online menopause specialist register as a result of concerns that aspects of her practice did not accord with established guidance.”

A statement from Newson Health to PA said: “As the UK’s leading menopause clinic, Newson Health utilises a wealth of clinical experience and data, as well as the best available scientific evidence, to treat every patient on an individualised basis and provide the best possible menopause care.

“This is particularly important in an area of health that is chronically underfunded, undervalued and under-researched.

“Newson Health has addressed all points raised by the CQC and has not been notified of any resulting concerns.

“Newson Health is confident in the quality of care it provides and maintains a CQC Good rating.”

A CQC spokeswoman said in a statement to PA: “The CQC has received some information of concern about Newson Health and we’re in contact with the provider about those concerns.

“We’re currently following up to understand if there are any risks to people using the service and if further CQC action is warranted.”

The BBC said it had spoken to more than a dozen patients from Newson Health who experienced complications after treatment, with some developing a thickening of their womb linings, a potential precursor to cancer.

One woman said that, despite her HRT dose from Newson Health being three times the licensed maximum amount, her menopause symptoms had worsened.

Four former Newson Health doctors also voiced concerns to Panorama, with one warning that women could “come to harm”, the BBC reported.

HRT is used to help alleviate symptoms of the menopause and perimenopause, such as brain fog, hot flushes and mood swings.

It can be prescribed as a gel, spray, tablets or patches, with the highest licensed dose of oestrogen being 100 micrograms (mcg) per day.

This is the level at which manufacturers have established safety and efficacy through clinical trials, which is then approved by the UK’s Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The Newson Health website says some patients it treats are on higher doses.

It says manufacturers in the UK have set a recommended maximum dose for each HRT medication but “this does not mean that higher doses are not safe.

“Evidence-based medicine is based not only on clinical trial data, but also a clinician’s experience and expertise individualised to a patient’s values and preferences…

“Many medicines, including HRT, are prescribed ‘off-label’ – meaning it is used in a different way described in the license, for example using a medicine at a higher dose than stated in the license.”

The British Menopause Society told PA: “The British Menopause Society removed Dr Newson from the BMS online menopause specialist register as a result of concerns that aspects of her practice did not accord with established guidance.

“This led the BMS and five other authorities to issue a safety alert in April 2023, following extensive correspondence with Dr Newson about our concerns over the previous three years (2020 -2023).”

In a statement, Newson Health told the PA news agency that Dr Newson had previously requested evidence from the BMS as to why the decision was taken to remove her accreditation more than a year ago, “despite her completing all required training and exceeding other requirements”.

It added: “Unfortunately, she is yet to receive a satisfactory response.”

Senior doctors in the NHS have previously expressed concerns about women using private clinics given too much oestrogen alongside inadequate amounts of progestogen (both hormones make up HRT).

Some celebrities have said they take the hormone testosterone alongside regular HRT.

Newson Health offers testosterone to some patients, with an initial consultation cost of £230.

In July this year, the British Menopause Society issued a statement on testosterone after several media articles on the topic, saying “misinformation risks medicalising a normal life stage and render women dependent upon clinicians, some of whom may also be overly promoting treatment with testosterone, which is associated with a high placebo response.

“Testosterone is not an ‘essential’ hormone for women…

“Whilst some women do benefit from the addition of testosterone, this is not the case for all women and in the interest of patient safety, it is important that women are advised within readily available clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), British Menopause Society (BMS) and the International Menopause Society (IMS).”