Prescription price hike is a barrier to good health and wellbeing

We strongly oppose the rise in the NHS prescription charge, which came into effect in England yesterday (1 May).

A single prescription item now costs £9.90, a rise of 25p. Prescription prepayment certificates 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, a group of over 50 charities and professional organisations, chaired by Parkinson's UK, is campaigning for the charge to be reviewed and scrapped. They 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 for the Coalition and to call on the government to urgently review the exemption list.

Their statement said:

"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the Royal College of GPs and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society support the call for the UK government to review the outdated prescription exemption system and scrap prescription charges for people living with long-term conditions in England.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 wellbeing 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 people with long-term conditions can live well.

Find out more about the Prescription Charges Coalition.