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Prescription charge increases remain below rate of inflation

Prescription charge increases will stay below the rate of inflation representing the tenth consecutive year that the increase has been held below or around that level, Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo announced today.

The increase will mean 25p on prescription charges in England, taking the charge for a single prescription item to £7.10 from 1 April 2008.

Ms Primarolo said:

"In England, 88 per cent of prescription items are free of charge thanks to our extensive exemption arrangements.

Prescription charges are expected to raise £435 million* in the next financial year – that’s valuable income that can be ploughed back into the NHS."

In 2006, less than 7 per cent of prescription items dispensed in the community in England were charged to patients at the point of dispensing, with a further 5 per cent of items dispensed to patients who had brought prepayment certificates.

It has also been confirmed that NHS dental charges will increase by less than the current rate of inflation.  For the simplest and most common visits to the dentist, involving an examination, advice and any necessary x-rays or scale and polish, the charge will go up by 30p to £16.20 from 1 April 2008.

Also from 1 April the range of NHS optical vouchers available for children, people on low incomes, and those who need complex lenses to help with the cost of purchasing glasses will increase by an average of 2.7 per cent.

* The £435 million figure quoted excludes prescription charges collected by dispensing doctors, which is not collected centrally, but remains with primary care trusts.

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