Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether GPs in England and Wales can refuse repeat prescriptions for specific oral contraceptive pills to women and girls.

General practitioners (GPs), whose contracts include the provision of contraceptive services, can prescribe to all registered patients upon request, a variety of contraceptive substances and appliances. These include combined pill, contraceptive cap, contraceptive injection, contraceptive patch, diaphragms, progestogen-only pill (mini-pill) and vaginal ring, excluding the fitting and implanting of intrauterine devices and implants. Contraceptives are provided free of charge.

GPs in England cannot charge patients for contraception services rendered to them. All prescribed oral contraceptive pills should be provided free of charge.

It is for GPs to determine whether a repeat prescription for specific oral contraceptive pills is appropriate and whether to prescribe oral contraceptive pills for one month at a time. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health developed the UK Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use which helps clinicians decide what contraceptives they can safely recommend based on the medical conditions of patients in their care.

Primary care in Wales is a devolved matter.