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Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN HL16959, tabled on 4 July 2019

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much it costs NHS England annually to (1) collect payments for free prescriptions, (2) administer the system of medical exemption certificates, and (3) provide prescription prepayment certificates.

Answered on

15 July 2019

NHS England and NHS Improvement do not collect any payment for free prescriptions.

The costs to administer the system of medical exemption certificates is around £1 million. The costs to provide prescription prepayment certificates is around £4.8 million. These figures have been provided by the NHS Business Services Authority and are for the financial period 2018/19.