Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

(asked on 27th February 2025) - View Source

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.


Answered by
Karin Smyth Portrait
Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 7th March 2025

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

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