A rising number of people are putting off seeking healthcare due to additional costs such as travel, a patient watchdog has warned.
Many are so worried about cash they also refusing dental care or not collecting prescriptions, according to Healthwatch England.
The patient champion organisation said it was “worried” about the consequences of people avoiding vital care as it called for Government action.
It conducted a tracker poll of patients, shared exclusively with the PA news agency, to assess the impact of spiralling costs on how people use health and care services.
The new poll of 2,000 adults in England, shared with the PA news agency found that:
– The number of people who avoided an NHS appointment due to the cost of travel rose from 6% in October to 11% in December.
– Some 15% said they avoided going to the dentist due to the cost of check-ups in December, a rise from 3% in October.
– In December, 10% said they had avoided buying over the counter medication they normally rely on, up 3% from October.
– Some 6% of people polled in October said they avoided picking up one or more NHS prescriptions because of the cost and this figure rose to 10% in December.
This includes cutting back on heating, food and using essential appliances.
Lynda Hesketh, a rheumatoid arthritis patient from Cheshire, said the cost-of-living crisis has affected her health and wellbeing.
“Heating costs are a big concern as my joints stiffen up in the cold,” she said.
“I often switch the heating on or have a bath to ease the pain and stiffness in my joints, so this increases my energy bills.
“The energy crisis is really bad, I don’t remember it being as bad as this.”
The 60-year-old told Healthwatch that she was finding it difficult to pay for travel to hospital appointments.
Ms Hesketh has also been asked to make financial contributions to her social care – an added expense which she cannot afford.
“All of this is very stressful and extremely worrying, so much so it regularly impacts my sleep.
“I don’t feel up to all these challenges and they are contributing to the worsening of my condition.”
Louise Ansari, national director of Healthwatch England, said: “It is clear that the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on people’s health and wellbeing is beginning to hit home.
“We are very worried that people are increasingly avoiding getting prescription medicines, booking NHS appointments and travelling to their appointments because of the extra costs.
“The steps people are taking to cope with the cost of living can have serious implications on their physical and mental health. This is likely to place a further burden on the already stretched NHS.
“The cost of living should never be a barrier to healthcare. The increase in the number of people avoiding vital care needs urgent joint action from the Government and health and care services.
“Steps such as offering over the counter medication on prescription based on ability to pay, raising awareness of travel reimbursement schemes and patient transport services, and ensuring people who need them take up social tariffs for phone and broadband could all make a huge difference for people who are struggling financially.”
Healthwatch also called for NHS England to work with OfCom and telecommunications companies to ensure hospital and GP phone numbers are part of freephone services after 11% said they had avoiding booking appointments due to telephone and internet costs.
A Government spokesman said: “We know it is a difficult time for families across the country. That is why we have acted swiftly to provide support, including the energy price guarantee, which is saving the typical household around £900 this winter, as well as £400 payments towards bills and £1,200 for the most vulnerable households.
“It’s vital people attend their appointments and we have capped bus tickets at £2 for thousands of bus routes to keep public transport accessible and affordable, while we’ve also frozen prescription charges for the first time in 12 years.”
