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We know that vital medicine is unaffordable for many people with long-term conditions in England. People are cutting their medicine in half or going without it - leading them to rely on NHS services more, or even missing work as they’re too unwell.
We are encouraging supporters of the campaign to email their MP and ask them to write to the new minister responsible for prescription charges, Stephen Kinnock MP. We want them to urge the new UK government to review the prescription charge exemption list, as it hasn't been updated in almost 60 years, apart from the addition of cancer in 2009. Coalition research shows that some people skip their medication due to the cost, which leads to additional physical and mental health problems, as well as them being off work sick and relying on NHS services more. Laura Cockram, Chair of the Coalition commented: "There are hundreds of new MPs who may not know that people with many long-term health conditions like Parkinson's, HIV, asthma, cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, heart, lung and liver conditions have to pay for their medicines that keep them alive and well. "England is the only UK country that charges for prescriptions. And research shows that scrapping the charge could actually save the NHS millions of pounds each year. "We're keen to get the message out to new MPs and the government, so would love our supporters to write to their MP and ask them to call on the Minister to review the charge."
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Prescription Charges Coalition members have written to the leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties ahead of the election urging them to commit to reviewing the exemption list.
Lib Dem commitment On Monday (10 June) the Liberal Democrats committed to reviewing the exemption list if elected in their manifesto. Coalition letter The letter, that was signed by over 20 members of the Coalition sets out the case for the new government to review the outdated and unfair exemption list - that sees people with asthma, sickle cell, HIV, Cystic Fibrosis, Parkinson's, Crohn's and Colitis, heart, lung and kidney disease pa for their vital medication to keep them alive and well. We'll post any responses we receive! Doorstep chat with your candidate In the meantime if an election candidate knocks on your door why don't you ask them:
We strongly oppose the rise in the NHS prescription charge, which comes into effect in England today (1 May). And our comments have been widely picked up across the media in the Telegraph, Metro and Daily Mail.
A single prescription item will now cost £9.90, a rise of 25 pence, and prescription prepayment certificates (PPC) will now cost £114.50 annually. Working age people who live with long-term conditions like Parkinson’s, asthma, multiple sclerosis, HIV and mental health conditions are not exempt from prescription charges in England. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Prescription Charges Coalition, is campaigning for the charge to be reviewed and scrapped. We have major concerns that people will be forced to skip their medication and rely on NHS services more because of the spiralling costs. Wendy, who lives with Parkinson’s, said: “The prescription price rise is just another nail in the coffin for people living with Parkinson’s. The way prices keep going up, I don’t know how much longer I can last.” Professional bodies share their support Professional bodies, trade associations and unions in the health and pharmaceutical sector have published a joint statement to show their support of the Coalition and call on the government to urgently review the exemption list.. The National Pharmacy Association, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association, the Royal College of GPs and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society support the call for the UK government to review the outdated prescription exemption system and scrap prescription charges for people living with long-term conditions in England. This will bring England in line with other-UK countries. We already know the increased costs of prescription charges are forcing some people to skip their medication. The charge is a financial barrier to good health and well being as it can result in people taking time off work and contributing to society. This also puts further strain on an already overstretched NHS, with people relying more on health services like GP consults and A&E visits if they can’t afford their prescription medicine. The exemption list has remained relatively unchanged for the last 50 years and neglects to include many life-altering conditions such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis, Cystic Fibrosis and Asthma. People living with these conditions often have to take multiple medications a day and without the full dose, it is difficult for them to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. That is why, as a first step, we are calling for an urgent review of the outdated exemption list as it is unfit for purpose for those living with long-term conditions, especially for those of working age. Laura Cockram, Head of Campaigns at Parkinson’s UK and chair of the Coalition, said: "The NHS prescription charge price increase has struck fear into people living with long-term health conditions, such as Parkinson's. People are already struggling financially due to the cost of living crisis, and increasing the cost of prescriptions will result in more people missing, reducing, or delaying taking their medication, meaning their condition will deteriorate." "Recent research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Pharmacists' Defence Association revealed that more than a third of pharmacists (35%) have seen an increase in patients declining prescriptions in the last 12 months. This will only lead to a greater cost to health and social services and avoidable hospital admissions." "People living with Parkinson's and other long-term conditions rely on multiple prescriptions to manage their symptoms, and the UK government is only putting more barriers in place to stop them from doing so. There is limited financial support that charities can offer to offset government shortcomings. That’s why we're calling on the UK government to freeze the charge in 2025 and commit to urgently reviewing the prescription charge exemption list." Next steps The Coalition will continue campaigning to urge the government to review the exemption list so that people with long-term conditions can get the medicine they need to stay alive and well. Prescription charges set to rise from 1 May 2024
The Department for Health and Social Care has announced that NHS prescription charges in England will rise by 2.59% next month. From 1 May 2024, people in England will have to pay:
These changes won’t affect prescriptions dispensed in April 2024. Laura Cockram, Head of Campaigns at Parkinson's UK and Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition, said: "The NHS prescription charge price increase will strike fear into people living with long-term health conditions, such as Parkinson's. People are already struggling financially due to the cost of living crisis, and increasing the prescription charge will result in more people missing, reducing, or delaying taking their medication, meaning their condition will deteriorate. "Recent research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Pharmacists' Defence Association revealed that more than a third of pharmacists (35%) said they have seen an increase in patients declining prescriptions in the last 12 months. This increase will only lead to a greater cost to health and social services and avoidable hospital admissions." You can find out more about the Prescription Prepayment Certificate or help you can get with NHS costs on the NHS Business Services Authority website. We will continue to campaign for the government to review the exemption list and scrap the charge for people with long-term conditions in England.  Representatives from Bechet's UK, Crohn's and Colitis UK, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Parkinson's UK, the Pharmacists' Defence Association, Royal College of GPs and Royal Pharmaceutical Society handing in the #FreezeTheCharge open letter to the Department of Health and Social Care - February 2024 On Thursday 29 February 2024 we handed in our open letter, signed by 616 people, calling for prescription charges to be frozen for 2024 and 2025.
Each individual prescription item costs £9.65, and at a time when living costs are increasing, working age people with long-term conditions are being forced daily to choose between heating, eating and taking their vital medication. Living with a long-term health condition or disability often adds to the cost of living. Many need more heating to stay well and extra electricity to power assistive technology devices. We are deeply concerned that a further rise in the charge this year will lead to people skipping or not taking the full dose of their medication, and we fear this will make them sicker and put more pressure on the already under pressure NHS. We are pleased that hundreds have joined our call to ask the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health to freeze the prescription charge in England, to keep people with long-term conditions well and reduce the burden on the NHS. As part of the Autumn Statement, the Government announced a Back to Work Plan which provides support for health and employment schemes and tougher sanctions for those claiming disability.
Those sanctioned could be denied access to welfare payments and other benefits like free prescriptions or help with energy bills. Disability campaigners and Prescription Charges Coalition members are really worried about this announcement, as it could further harm the health of people living with long-term conditions, many of whom may not be able to work. Commenting, Laura Cockram Chair of the Coalition said: “It's worrying that at a time when the Government should be trying to help more people manage the cost of living, they are instead looking at punitive measures for those who are unemployed. "Not only will threatening unemployed people with the removal of free prescriptions fail to encourage them back into work, it will likely lead to further health inequality. “Everyone should be able to access the medications they need, regardless of their employment status. Research from the Prescription Charges Coalition shows that being unable to afford your medicines leads to poor health, lost productivity and costly and avoidable hospital admissions.” We welcome government decision to scrap plan to end free prescriptions for 60 to 65-year-olds15/6/2023 The Prescription Charges Coalition has welcomed the UK Government’s promise to scrap harsh proposals that would have ended free prescriptions for 60 to 65-year-olds - but says there still needs to be an urgent review of the outdated prescription charge exemption list. The Coalition, which brings together around 50 organisations and professional bodies to campaign to scrap prescription charges in England for people with long-term conditions, say the measures would have prevented even more patients from accessing essential medication, which keeps them well and in many cases, alive. It says prescription charges are leading to patients stopping their medication, cutting tablets in half or only picking up some of their prescriptions due to the crippling cost of living. The Coalition argues that if patients skip their medication it leads to further health problems which cost the NHS significantly more. The group says prescriptions are unaffordable for many, costing £9.65 for a single item. A three month prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) is £31.25 and a 12 month PPC is £111.60. The recently introduced HRT PPC is £19.30. Laura Cockram, Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition and Head of Policy and Campaigns for Parkinson’s UK, said she was relieved the UK Government was not pressing ahead with the worrying proposals but called for a review of the prescription charge exemption list. She said: “We are pleased to hear the UK Government is scrapping this plan. We know this is a false economy as making people pay for prescriptions can actually cost the NHS more in the long term. And we know this policy would have put financial pressure on an older population which we fear could have had disastrous consequences for their health. “However abandoning this unpopular plan doesn’t address the underlying problem that the prescription charge exemption system needs to be reviewed urgently. It is putting the health of patients at risk which we fear will intensify as the charges increase. “Right now, people are having to make very difficult choices about whether they feed their families, pay bills or take their medication, which is essential for them staying well. Instead the charges force unwell people to rely more on the NHS, which is already at breaking point. “The UK Government’s bid to create a healthier nation will fail if it doesn’t commit to reviewing the outdated prescription charge exemption list." Read our latest research on the impact of prescription charges on people with long-term conditions. A survey of over 4,000 people with long-term conditions, including those with Parkinson’s, on prescription charges, has found the charge is a barrier to accessing medicine.
The findings come following the UK government's announcement that the prescription charge will rise on 1 April 2023. The Prescription Charges Coalition, which brings together around 50 organisations and professional bodies to campaign to scrap prescription charges in England for people with long-term conditions, conducted the survey between February and March. It found:
The survey shows that people with long-term health conditions that cannot afford their medication are seeing an increase in GP visits, trips to accident and emergency (A&E), and hospital stays. Some survey respondents reported they had to stay in hospital for up to 6 weeks. Not being able to afford medicine has also led to mental health issues and increased time off work. Read the full report. Review the prescription charge exemption list Some serious conditions, such as asthma, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s and Colitis, motor neurone disease, cystic fibrosis, stroke and Parkinson's, are still not included on the exemptions list despite the need for medication to stay well and, in many cases, alive. England is the only UK country where people have to pay for their medicines. The Coalition argues that if patients skip their medication it leads to further health problems which cost the NHS significantly more. It has condemned the decision to raise the cost of prescription charges, sharing that the rise will result in sick people relying more on NHS services that are already at breaking point. Laura Cockram, Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition and Head of Policy and Campaigns for Parkinson’s UK, said: "We are deeply concerned about these findings which is a clear message that the prescription charge exemption system needs urgent reform. "It is not meeting the needs of people with long-term conditions and is putting their health at risk, which we fear will intensify as the charges increase on 1 April. "The charges for people with long-term health conditions fail those who are being forced to make tough choices every day about whether they feed their families, pay their bills or take their medication. As we have seen from our survey, medication could keep them out of hospital. "We know the price rise will result in sick people relying more on NHS services that are already at breaking point. "Far from this government’s aim of improving life expectancy for people with stroke, dementia, asthma and mental ill health, this increase in the prescription charge will create a health emergency for people with these conditions and other long-term conditions in England. "The UK government must urgently commit to reviewing the prescription charges exemption list, or it will fail in its bid to create a healthier nation." Thorrun Govind, board chair for England at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, described prescription charges as an “unfair tax on the sick”. She added: “Ongoing prescription charges in England prioritise revenue generation over the prevention of ill-health and undermine the principle of an NHS free at the point of use. Pharmacy teams often see people struggle to afford all the medicines they need, which can lead to further health problems and extra costs to the NHS. We need urgent reform of the whole system.” Sarah Sleet, chief executive at Crohn’s and Colitis UK, added: “Right now, there are over 500,000 people in the UK living with Crohn’s and Colitis. They take medications every day to control and treat the symptoms of these lifelong conditions for which there is no known cure. “Almost 60 per cent of the people who responded to the survey were from the Crohn’s and Colitis community, so we know this is a huge issue. Life with a chronic illness is stressful enough without having to choose between paying your bills or paying for the medicines you desperately need. “The list of conditions that are exempt from prescription charges is outdated and urgently needs reviewing to include Crohn’s, Colitis and many other life-changing chronic illnesses.” Government action needed now The Coalition is calling for the UK government to:
This NHS page shares information on who is entitled to free prescriptions, and how you can get help with costs. It also shares information on the prescription prepayment certificate, that can spread your costs over 3 or 12 months.  On Monday 6 March, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust delivered over 1300 petition signatures to No.10 Downing Street, calling on the Prime Minister to urgently review the outdated prescription charges exemption list. The list was drawn up in the late 1960s when most people with cystic fibrosis did not live beyond childhood. Each of these messages was personally written by a member of the cystic fibrosis community, explaining the impact paying prescription charges has on them and asked the Prime Minister to urgently review the prescription exemption list. For those with cystic fibrosis who earn just over the income exemption threshold, removing the annual cost of the prepayment certificate would make a huge difference. We believe this needs to change as it is not right that people with the condition should face this burden and must pay to extend their lives. That's why the Trust supports the Coalition's call for the UK Government to review the prescription charges exemption list for people with long term conditions. The cost of prescriptions are just one more thing that people with cystic fibrosis face, alongside additional food, energy and travel costs. A University of Bristol study shows that the additional financial burden of living with cystic fibrosis is £6500 per year. Grace Paget, Cystic Fibrosis Trust Public Affairs Officer Health Minister Neil O'Brien announced today that prescription charges in England will rise by 3.21%.
From 1 April 2023 people in England will have to pay:
Laura Cockram, Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition, condemned the UK Government’s decision to raise the cost of prescription charges. “Today’s announcement is bitterly disappointing for people with long term health conditions in England. It fails those who are being forced to make tough choices everyday about whether they feed themselves and their families, pay their bills or take their medication, which could keep them out of hospital. “This decision reflects the Government’s disregard for the needs of people with long term health conditions, who are already avoiding picking up their prescriptions, because they can’t afford them. This rise will result in sick people relying more on NHS services that are already at breaking point. “Far from this government’s aim of improving life expectancy for people with stroke, dementia, asthma and mental ill health, this increase in the prescription charge will create a health emergency for people with these conditions and other long term conditions in England. The UK Government must urgently commit to reviewing the prescription charges exemption list, or it will fail in its bid to create a healthier nation.” You can find out more about the Prescription Prepayment Certificate or help you can get with NHS costs on the NHS Business Services Authority website. |
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