Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people of working age in England with (a) Parkinson’s disease, (b) cystic fibrosis, (c) sickle cell anaemia and (d) Lupus have to pay for their prescriptions.

The Department does not hold this information. Extensive arrangements are in place to ensure that people can access affordable prescriptions and almost 90% of prescription items are free on the National Health Service in England. Individuals may be exempted on the basis of medical conditions or may be entitled to exemption on the basis of their age or income. To support those who do not qualify for an exemption, Prescription Prepayment Certificates are available, which allow holders to get all the prescriptions they require for just £2 per week.