Prescription charges are once again rising this April, to £8.60 an item.

People living with sickle cell disorder do not have medical exemption from prescription charges, which means that paying the fees can be difficult and some people may skip doses of medicine. We advise, if it is possible, to buy a prescription prepayment certificate, which will save you some money.

The Sickle Cell Society is a member of the Prescription Charges Coalition, the campaign for medical exemptions for all people with long-term health conditions. The coalition is currently gathering evidence of the impact of prescription charges. Would you be able to take a few minutes to fill out this survey with your experiences?

Responding to the increase in prescription charges to £8.60 in England, Morgan Vine of Parkinson’s UK who Co-Chair the Prescription Charges Coalition, a group of nearly 40 organisations campaigning to end prescription charges for people with long-term medical conditions, said:

“This will come as a blow to people with long term conditions, who already have to deal with additional living costs, and rely on regular medication to manage their condition.

“Our research showed that 1 in 3 people with long term conditions, who answered our survey, had not collected a prescription because of the expense. This can have a hugely negative impact on the person’s health, often resulting in expensive hospital treatment and days off work.

“In 2018 the outdated and illogical medical exemption list for England will be 50 years old. It is unfair that some conditions are exempt from all charges, where others are required to pay for everything. It is the Government’s duty to support everyone with a long term condition to take their medication as prescribed. They must take urgent action to address this unjust situation.”