Women who have been denied hormone treatment to ease severe menopausal symptoms say they are forced to travel from their Medway homes to a specialist clinic in London to receive it.

Hundreds of patients at the Lordswood Healthy Living Centre have been refused HRT implants after a Medway health organisation withdrew funding for the unlicensed medication.

Their campaign to get the treatment reinstated by the Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (MCG) has been backed by their GP, Dr Shashi Singh.

Now some patients are going to a menopause clinic at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where staff have given them the treatment immediately.

Campaign leader Val Weedon praised staff at the clinic but maintained that women should not have to endure the journey to London often when they may be suffering stress and depression.

Mrs Weedon, 63, said she had been prescribed alternative tablets which didn’t work so she decided to visit the London clinic in March.

“The doctor said that there were a number of women she had been treating that would’ve committed suicide if they hadn’t had the HRT implant.” - Val Weedon

She was given routine health checks and prescribed the implants.

She said: “During my consultation I spoke to the doctor about the Medway HRT implant campaign, and she said she was very aware of it and that Chelsea and Westminster were now expecting many more women to be referred to them as a result of our local campaign.

“The doctor said that there were a number of women she had been treating that would’ve committed suicide if they hadn’t had the HRT implant.”

A spokesman for MCG said: “The CCG’s position on HRT implants remains the same and is in line with General Medical Council guidance on prescribing unlicensed medicines.

“GPs across the country have had similar advice.

“We would like to reiterate our previous message that if they believe there is no suitable alternative to HRT implants they should ask to be referred to a gynaecologist.”