Doncaster men use Viagra more than anywhere else in country, new figures reveal

Data showing NHS spending on drugs for erectile dysfunction reveals the top three areas in Britain are all in Yorkshire – with Doncaster claiming the number one spot.

Bradford and Rotherham make up the top three with Viagra the most popular drug prescribed for the condition.

The figures also show of the 135 health areas, Hounslow and Hillingdon in West London and the wealthy counties of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire have the lowest spend.

Experts have found erectile dysfunction is linked to deprivation, with a study by the University of Birmingham and Warwick Business School showing GPs in the poorest areas issued 21% more prescriptions than those in the wealthiest.

Co-author Dr Vibhu Paudyal said: “Risk factors for erectile dysfunction, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental health conditions, are more prevalent in areas of deprivation.”

The East Riding of Yorkshire and Barnsley were other Yorkshire areas in the top 10 list.

Prescriptions nationally have been steadily rising – up 400,000 in five years to 4.4 million last year.

The most popular of the drugs prescribed was Sildenafil, the generic name of Viagra, which works by increasing blood flow.

Onset is typically within 20 minutes and lasts for about 2 hours.

Pfizer originally discovered the medication in 1989 while looking for a treatment for heart-related chest pain and first came into use in 1998.