As reported by the BBC News, the government in England has announced that NHS prescription charges will be frozen for the first time in 12 years
Despite inflation, single prescription charges will remain at £9.35 until next year.
Sajid Javid, health secretary, said freezing the costs will help “put money back in people’s pockets”.
Campaigners pointed out that 90% of prescriptions dispensed are already free of charge. Those eligible for free prescriptions include those on state benefits, pregnant women, people aged over-60 and under-16.
Prescriptions are free for everyone in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Single prescription costs in England have risen from £7.65 in 2012-13 to £9.35 in 2021-22.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed prescription charges will not increase until at least April 2023, saving patients £17m.
Mr Javid commented “The rise in the cost of living has been unavoidable as we face global challenges and the repercussions of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine”.
“Whilst we can’t completely prevent these rises, where we can help – we absolutely will.”
Chairwoman of the Prescription Charges Coalition, Laura Cockram, welcomes the freeze but believes the government should also review the list of those who qualified for free prescriptions.
Laura Cockram said the prescription exemption list was made more than 50 years ago, at a time when there wasn’t “life saving treatments for things like asthma, Parkinson’s and MS”.
The government recently proposed increasing the age for free prescriptions from 60 to the state pension age – 66 for men and women, but the DHSC has said that so far no decisions have been made on.
GP Dr Sarah Jarvis believes this would make the cost living crisis harder for older people, who are “the ones who are most likely to have multiple medical conditions”.
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