A hike in the cost of NHS prescriptions in England has been called a “dark day” for patients.
Increasing the cost to almost £10 is a “tax on the working poor”, commentators said as they warned of a rise in patients declining to pick up medicines due to cost.
The prescription charge in England will rise from £9.65 to £9.90 per item from Wednesday.
The 12-month NHS prescription prepayment certificate – which covers all NHS prescriptions for a set price – will increase from £111.60 to £114.50.
Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in England said that prescription charges should be scrapped in England.
RPS chairwoman Tase Oputu 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.
“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.
“Every day pharmacists are asked by patients who are unable to 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.”
Nick Kaye, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “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.
“This is a tax on the working poor that deepens the cost-of-living crisis for them.”
Prescriptions are free for certain groups of people including children, over-60s, pregnant women, people who are on certain benefits and people 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 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.”
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.”
