Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to include inflammatory bowel disease patients in the list of people who are exempt from prescription charges.

The list of medical conditions that give exemption from prescription charges was introduced in 1968 after agreement with the medical profession. The list has since been reviewed on a number of occasions, but not altered except for the introduction of cancer in 2009.

At the request of the previous Government, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore undertook a review into extending entitlement to free prescriptions to all those in England with a long-term condition. In responding to the review in 2010, the Government made clear that, in light of the challenging financial context, no changes would be made to the current list of exemptions.

Prescription charges in England raise valuable income, in the region of £450 million each year, which helps the National Health Service to maintain vital services for patients.

The extensive system of exemption arrangements in place, including for those on low incomes who may struggle to pay for their prescriptions, means that around 90% of all prescription items are already dispensed free of charge. Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPCs) are also available for those who need multiple prescriptions, such as those with long-term conditions, and have to pay NHS prescription charges. This is the fifth year the cost of an annual certificate, and the third year the cost of a three month certificate, have been frozen. Both certificates will also remain at £104.00 and £29.10 respectively, next year. There is no limit to the number of items that can be obtained through a PPC. The annual certificate benefits anyone needing more than 12 items a year, and the three month certificate anyone needing more than three items in that three month period.