Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the financial implications for the NHS of ending prescription charges in England.

Prescription charges contributed £614 million in revenue in 2020/21. This funding provides an important source of income in light of increasing demands on the National Health Service. However, approximately 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge and arrangements are in place to help those most in need.