Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of how NHS services support people with coeliac disease who are facing financial difficulties.

We recognise the pressures people are facing with the rising cost of living and the increased costs incurred by people with coeliac disease because they have to buy gluten-free options, which are often more expensive than their non-gluten-free equivalents.

The Department carried out an analysis of this issue as part of its Equalities Impact Assessment which was published as part of the consultation on the Availability of gluten-free foods on prescription in primary care. A copy of the assessment following this consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/availability-of-gluten-free-foods-on-nhs-prescription

We looked at the equality impact assessment and the consultation responses and, as a result, made the decision to retain gluten-free bread and mixes on National Health Service prescription. This will help enable people with coeliac disease to obtain their basic food needs and mitigate the risk that those on lower incomes are not able to purchase their own gluten-free foods from retail outlets.

The national prescribing position in England remains that gluten-free bread and mixes can be provided to all eligible coeliac patients on an NHS prescription, and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. This means that prescribers can issue NHS prescriptions, based on a shared decision between prescriber and patient, while also being mindful of local and national guidance.