Free prescriptions for those with a long term and/or chronic condition.
The Parliament petitions site records 20,258 signatures for this petition, which closed on 9 August 2022. The Government responded on 2 March 2022. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 11 March 2024.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Free prescriptions for those with a long term and/or chronic condition.
Extend the criteria for medical exemption certificates. The MedEx criteria should include chronic illnesses as acknowledged by the NHS. This includes but is not limited to MS, PCOS, endometriosis, IBD, POTS, depression, anxiety and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
Living with a chronic condition can be extremely difficult. The symptoms and complications of having a chronic diseases often means people have to either give up work or reduce their hours - as a consequence some people may not be able to self fund their medication. Another issue is that the number of prescriptions given, for example I’ve been given 20 different medications this year alone. Chronic / LT conditions are not curable, but treatable. This treatment shouldn’t be down to privilege.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 2 March 2022; the petitions site lists the Department of Health and Social Care as responsible. Its summary:
We recognise the impact of chronic illness. 89% of prescription items dispensed in the community in England have no charge. Those not exempt may save money with a prescription prepayment certificate.
The opening 348 words of the 519-word response:
The Government understands the immense challenges faced by those living with chronic or long-term conditions, often having to limit their lifestyles through no choice of their own, as well as the impact on their loved ones. We recognise that many patients with these conditions may need many prescription items to manage their health needs.
While not everyone qualifies for free NHS prescriptions there are a broad range of NHS prescription charge exemptions in place in England to help those patients with the greatest need, to ensure that prescriptions are affordable.
Eligibility for these exemptions depends on the person’s age, whether they are in receipt of a war pension or certain benefits or tax credits, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, or have a qualifying medical condition and hold a medical exemption certificate. Partners and dependents of the person receiving certain benefits are entitled to free prescriptions too. When the medical exemptions were first introduced, only 42% of all NHS prescription items were dispensed free of charge. Now the figure is approximately 89% with around 60% of the English population not paying prescription charges at all. There are currently no plans to make changes to the list of medical conditions. Many people with medical conditions not on the exempt list already get free prescriptions on other grounds, with current exemptions already providing valuable help for those on the lowest incomes and for the most vulnerable in society.
Those who may not be exempt but who are on a low income can seek help under the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS). This Scheme provides help with health costs on an income-related basis. The level of help available is based on a comparison between someone’s income and requirements at the time a claim is received, or at the time a charge was paid, if a refund is claimed. Further information on the NHS LIS, including how someone can apply, is available on the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website at: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme
More information on free prescriptions can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/who-can-get-free-prescriptions/
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 647 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 189, came from Brighton, Pavilion.
20,207 of the signatures were from the UK and 51 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Brighton, Pavilion | 189 |
| Bristol West | 182 |
| Rayleigh and Wickford | 170 |
| Norwich South | 149 |
| Sheffield Central | 115 |
| Leeds Central | 109 |
| Brighton, Kemptown | 107 |
| Exeter | 103 |
| Nottingham South | 101 |
| Birmingham, Selly Oak | 98 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 4,058 |
| London | 3,029 |
| East of England | 2,753 |
| South West | 2,379 |
| North West | 2,004 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 1,618 |
| West Midlands | 1,541 |
| East Midlands | 1,446 |
| North East | 629 |
| Wales | 307 |
| Scotland | 297 |
| Northern Ireland | 55 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 11 March 2024. Read the debate in Hansard.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/608237.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
70baee6c0ef79426… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.