Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that families with children who suffer from severe allergies to certain medicines can access affordable alternatives; and if she will make a statement.

Prescriptions dispensed to children under 16 years old are free of charge. The prescription of any medicine is a clinical decision, informed by the medicine’s summary of product characteristics, made with individual patients. Prescribing clinicians should always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for patients can be safely prescribed. This prescribing decision should be discussed and agreed with the patient, their families and/or carers.