Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescription prepayment certificates have been issued in (a) England and (b) Mid Derbyshire in the last five years.
Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPCs) are issued by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on behalf of the Department. The following table shows the number of three and 12 month PPCs issued in England over the last five years, as well as the current financial year up to 27 February 2025:
Financial year | Certificate type | Certificate count |
2019/2020 | PPC | 2,521,102 |
2020/2021 | PPC | 2,505,297 |
2021/2022 | PPC | 2,685,102 |
2022/2023 | PPC | 2,900,859 |
2023/2024 | PPC | 3,000,387 |
2024/2025 | PPC | 2,872,956 |
Total | PPC | 16,485,703 |
It has not been possible to collate data for the Mid Derbyshire area alone, as this would require the NHSBSA to hold postcodes for all addresses in this area, which it does not have. However, the following table shows the number of PPCs issued in the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) over the last five years, as well as the current financial year up to 27 February 2025:
Financial year | Certificate type | Certificate count |
2019/2020 | PPC | 54,650 |
2020/2021 | PPC | 54,013 |
2021/2022 | PPC | 57,515 |
2022/2023 | PPC | 62,034 |
2023/2024 | PPC | 64,229 |
2024/2025 | PPC | 61,550 |
Total | PPC | 353,991 |
In addition, the following two tables show the number of hormone replacement therapy PPCs issued since its launch, in England and the NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB, respectively, for the financial year 2023/24 and the current financial year up to 27 February 2025:
Financial year | Certificate count |
2023/2024 | 565,754 |
2024/2025 | 498,767 |
Total | 1,064,521 |
Financial year | Certificate count |
2023/2024 | 12,414 |
2024/2025 | 10,668 |
Total | 23,082 |