Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost savings to the NHS of pharmacy-led gluten-free prescribing schemes; and if his Department will issue guidance on such schemes.

We have made no recent estimate.

However, we are aware that some local assessments of these schemes have been undertaken and details of these are available at:

www.coeliac.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/resources/community-pharmacy-supply-of-gluten-free-foods/

NHS England can commission a gluten-free food supply service as a local enhanced pharmaceutical service in the light of local need. Neither we nor NHS England have plans to issue guidance on these schemes.