The price you pay for your NHS prescription across England is set to rise from April - while inflation continues to run riot across the country.
As of the first of next month, the price of a prescription will rise by 30p from £9.35 to £9.65. This is an increase of 3.2% overall.
Elsewhere, the cost of prescription pre-payment certificates will also increase. These are subscriptions which cover multiple NHS prescriptions for a set price.
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The Mirror reports that a three-month PPC is going up from £30.25 to £31.25, and a 12-month PPC will increase from £108.10 to £111.60. The cost of wigs and fabric supports will also rise, while the recently introduced PPC for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) will cost £19.30.
You can see a full list of changes below.
The increase in NHS prescription costs comes after the annual price rise was frozen last April due to the cost of living. It marked the first time the Government did not impose an annual increase in 12 years.
England is the only country in the UK that still charges for prescriptions - patients in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not charged for prescribed medication.
New prescription charges:
- Single charge: £9.65
- 3-month PPC: £31.25
- 12-month PPC: £111.60
- 12-month HRT PPC: £19.30
Wigs and fabric supports
- Surgical bra: £31.70
- Abdominal or spinal support: £47.80
- Stock modacrylic wig: £78.15
- Partial human hair wig: £207.00
- Full bespoke human hair wig: £302.70
How to cut the cost of your NHS prescription
There are groups of people that qualify for free NHS prescriptions, for example if you are aged 60 or over, under 16, or aged 16 to 18 and in full-time education. Other examples include those who have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx) or medical exemption certificate (MedEx).
Some benefits also entitle you to free NHS prescriptions. You can see a full list of everyone who is entitled to free NHS prescriptions here.
If you need to claim a lot of NHS prescriptions, you might save money by purchasing a PPC, with the prices of those listed above. How much money you could save depends on how much medication you normally need to purchase.
New research from MoneySavingExpert shows more than one million people missed out on savings of around £40 by not purchasing a PPC.
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