Cost of NHS prescriptions to rise to £9 TODAY
1 April 2019, 12:34
The prescription price increase could put millions of NHS patients at risk
The price of NHS prescriptions are set to rise by £9 today, which could put patients who already struggle to afford their healthcare at risk.
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This comes after the government raised the price from £8.60 to £8.80 last year, meaning that the latest price hike is a further 20 pence more.
A charity has warned that a third of people who already struggle to pay for their prescriptions will be at risk and struggle to afford their potentially life-saving medicine.
Lloyd Tingley, at Parkinson's UK, and Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition, said, according to The Sun: "It is extremely disappointing that yet again, the Government plans to increase prescription charges.
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"Since 2010 the prescription charge has risen by 26 per cent compared to a rise in average earnings of 16 per cent over the same period.
"Working age people with long term conditions simply can’t sustain this.
“While it is positive that the cost of the Pre-Payment Certificate has been frozen, this is still a large upfront cost for individuals and families who the Government should be helping, not punishing, for having a long-term condition," he continued.
These charges only apply to patients in England. Those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will continue to get them for free.
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