Wes Streeting says big NHS change will save patients money 'and there's much more to come'

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said the Government is keeping prescription charges below a tenner because “every penny counts”. Writing for the , Mr Streeting outlined why the prescription charge for England will not go up in line with inflation. prescription charges are being frozen by to help with the cost of living crisis.

Prices will stay at £9.90 per item following 15 years of Tory rule, when charges went up in 14 of those years. A three-month prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC) will also be frozen at £32.05, while a 12-month one will remain at £114.50. The cost of the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) certificate is also frozen.

Mr Streeting said: “When times are tough, every penny counts. Growing up on a council estate in East London, I know how unexpected costs can blow a family’s budget And when it comes to your health, the last thing you want to worry about is the cost. This government will always put working people first. That's why today we’ve made the decision to freeze NHS prescription charges for the first time in three years.

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“Prescriptions won’t go up in line with inflation, and will instead stay under a tenner – at £9.90 per item – saving patients around £18 million next year. Anyone who gets regular medication will also benefit, because our prepayment certificates will also stay the same price. That means you can get all your prescriptions for just over £2 a week with an annual certificate.

“Nothing will change for people exempt from paying – including kids, pensioners, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions. This means around 89% of all prescriptions in England will remain free of charge.”

Groups already exempt from prescription charges include children under 16 and those aged 16-18 in full-time education, people aged 60 and over, pregnant women and those who have had a baby in the last 12 months, people with specified medical conditions like diabetes or cancer and have valid exemption certificates, and people receiving some benefits.

Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said: "Hardworking Mirror readers will not pay a penny more for their prescriptions this year because we've taken the decision to freeze prescription charges for the first time in three years to keep them below a tenner, saving patients around £18 million in total. This is on top of our recent £617 million boost for community pharmacies, as we shift care out of and into the community through our Plan for Change.”

Mr Streeting added: “This is good for people’s pockets, but it’s also good for our wider plan to make sure you can get the care you need closer to home and on your high street. Pharmacists play a crucial role in getting that care closer to the community. And it’s why the government made difficult but necessary choices at the to put £26 billion into our NHS – not just so we can do things like freezing prescriptions charges – but also so we can put a record £617 million into community pharmacy.

“Our investment and reform to our NHS is already starting to deliver our Plan for Change. We’re already seeing a difference – with 3 million new appointments delivered, 1,500 new GPs and waiting lists falling by over 200,000 since July.

“The NHS was founded on the principle that healthcare should be available to all, regardless of ability to pay. That matters now more than ever. And this government will make sure that our NHS remains free at the point of use. This prescription freeze is just what the doctor ordered – and there's much more to come.”

Running the NHS is a devolved issue for , Wales and Northern Ireland where there are no prescription charges as the health service is funded entirely through general taxation.

Patient groups and pharmacists are opposed to charging for vital medications and have called for charges in England to be scrapped altogether.