Major change to NHS prescriptions from today - as experts call it a 'dark day' for patients

1 May 2024, 15:59

By Jasmine Moody

The change in the cost of NHS prescriptions has been described as a "dark day" by chemists and a "tax on the working poor" by commentators.

The price per item has risen by 2.6 per cent, from £9.65 to £9.90 today. Commentators have warned that more people will decline to collect medicines due to the cost.

The 12-month NHS prescription certificate, covering all NHS prescriptions for a set price, will increase from £111.60 to £114.50.

Prescriptions are free in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in England has declared that prescription charges should be scrapped in England.

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RPS chairwoman Tase Oputu has described the impact on low-income working people.

She said: "This is a dark day for patients who will now have to pay nearly £10 for each item on their prescription.

"Amid the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in prescription charges will hit working people on low incomes the hardest.

"Every day pharmacists are asked by patients who cannot afford all the items in their prescription which ones they can 'do without'.

"No one should face a financial barrier to getting the medicines they need to keep them well. Prescription charges should be scrapped in England, as they have been in the rest of the UK.

"The relentless annual increase in the prescription charge is making medicines unaffordable for many.

"This is totally unacceptable. You can, it seems, put a price on health," Ms Oputu added.

The chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, Nick Kaye, also shares a similar view and says the price increase "deepens the cost-of-living crisis" on the nation's "working poor.

"To allow the prescription charge to rise to this level is a shameful neglect of working people on low fixed incomes, who are not exempt.

"Many people already choose not to collect some or all their prescription medicines because of cost, with potentially dire health consequences," Mr Kaye added.

Molly* has told LBC about her disappointment over the price hike and described how it will impact her and her partner: "I find this so frustrating," she said.

"I'm on a repeat prescription and have had to request emergency prescriptions before if I’ve run out and not ordered in time, and have had to pay the full prescription price for just 2 tablets!

"Whereas I can pay the same fee for 2 months' worth of medication. The price going up really can really put people off accessing medication that they really need, and applying for exemptions is very difficult as there are such limited exceptions.

"My partner is asthmatic and on a bad month can order multiple prescriptions for inhalers which he has to pay the full fee for every time.

"If you need to access medication frequently (eg once or more a month) then the fee quickly adds up across the year," Molly * added.

Some people are exempt from the charges, including children, pregnant women, people over the age of 60 and those with certain medical conditions.

But the Prescription Charges Coalition, an alliance of more than 50 organisations, has called for an urgent review of the prescription charges exemption list.

The coalition said 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, HIV, and asthma.

It raised concerns that people will be forced to skip their medication because of the spiralling costs.

One patient with Parkinson's disease said her financial situation was "dire" as a result of living with the condition.

Wendy Tombs, from Shropshire, 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."

The 59-year-old has received a grant from the charity Parkinson's UK to cover the cost of her prescription prepayment certificate.

Laura Cockram, head of campaigns at Parkinson's UK and chairwoman 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.

"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."

Commenting on the price increase, a Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Almost nine in 10 prescription items are available for free on the NHS in England and children, and those aged 60 and over, pregnant women, and those with medical conditions like cancer, epilepsy and diabetes remain exempt.

"This wide range of support, as well as the NHS Low-Income scheme, ensures that everyone who needs a prescription can afford it.

"Where charges are in place, it is important prices are regularly updated to ensure the NHS maintains a sustainable business model and can continue to deliver excellent patient care."

*Name has been changed to protect anonymity.