Prescription charges to go up from next month

NHS prescription charges will rise to £9.15 next month, the Government has announced. Patients will have to pay 15p more for their medicines from April 1. The prescription cost in England is currently £9 after it was increased from £8.80 last year. There is no charge for prescriptions in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Laura Cockram, chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition, said it was ‘incredibly disappointing’ that people with long-term conditions were being penalised by the soaring charges. She added: ‘By continuing to drive up the cost of prescriptions, the Government is ignoring clear evidence that the charge is a false economy that leaves people unable to afford vital medication which places increased pressure on the NHS.’

The Hibbs Lupus Trust is a member of the Prescription Charges Coalition, calling on the government to scrap unfair prescription charges for people living with lupus and other long-term conditions.

Managing a long-term condition is a costly business for many, but for those not entitled to free prescriptions it can mean tough choices between heating the house or paying for medicine.

Buy an NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate

Save money on NHS prescriptions by prepaying for them.

You can pay a set price for prescriptions for 3 or 12 months, no matter how many you need.

A prescription currently costs £9.00 per item, but prepaying for an unlimited number of prescriptions is:

• £29.10 for 3 months
• £104 for 12 months (or 10 Direct Debit instalments of £10.40)

Details of the revised charges for 2020 to 2021 can be found below:

Prescription charges

• Single charge: £9.15
• 3-month PPC: £29.65
• 12-month PPC: £105.90

Wigs and fabric supports

• Surgical brassiere: £30.05
• Abdominal or spinal support: £45.35
• Stock modacrylic wig: £74.15
• Partial human hair wig: £196.40
• Full bespoke human hair wig: £287.20

The quickest way to buy a certificate is online here.