NHS prescription charge shake-up in England after ‘difficult but necessary choices’ | Personal Finance | Finance
NHS prescription fees in England have been frozen for the first time in three years. The move is said to save patients around £18million next year as prices remain at £9.90 for a single charge.
Those already exempt from paying for their prescription will continue to be so. Three-month and annual prescriptions prepayment certificates (PPC) will also be frozen for 2025/26. Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: “This Government’s Plan for Change will always put working people first, and our moves today to freeze prescription charges will put money back into the pockets of millions of patients. Fixing our NHS will be a long road, but by working closer with our pharmacies, we’re saving money and shifting care to the community, which is closer to your home.”
He added: “We made the difficult but necessary choices at the Budget to fund moves like this and change our NHS so it can once again be there for you when you need it.”
The three-month PPC will remain priced at £32.05, while the 12-month PPC costs £114.50. The hormone replacement therapy (HRT) PPC will also remain at £19.80.
The freeze will also apply to NHS wigs and fabric supports.
Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “We promised to build an NHS fit for the future, and that started with the £26billion funding boost I delivered at the Budget, to repair and improve the many vital services it provides.
“Since then, waiting lists are falling, staff are better paid and supported, and today, £18million has been kept in patient’s pockets by freezing prescription charges – easing the cost of living through our Plan for Change, delivering for all.”
Jonathan Blades, head of policy at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “The freezing of prescription charges is a welcome first step and will provide some short-term relief.”
He added: “Living with a long-term lung condition like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is expensive, and rising prescription costs only make it harder for people to manage their condition and stay well.”
Around 89% of prescriptions in England are dispensed free of charge to children, over-60s, pregnant women, and those with certain medical conditions. This freeze will not impact that scheme.
In addition to the freeze on charges, the NHS low-income scheme offers help with prescription payments, with free prescriptions for eligible people in certain groups such as pensioners, students, and those who receive state benefits or live in care homes.
