Share Your Views: Proposed Changes to Gluten-Free Prescriptions in Coventry and Warwickshire
Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is reviewing how gluten-free (GF) foods are prescribed for adults and children who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis
At present, a limited range of GF bread loaves and mixes can be prescribed for individuals who meet the criteria - capped at 8-10 units per month. Prescribing of GF foods was introduced at a time when GF foods were expensive and hard to access in supermarkets. Now GF foods are widely available in supermarkets, with a broad range of affordable options. Naturally gluten-free foods such as rice, potatoes, meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and most dairy products remain accessible.
Prescriptions for GF foods cost the NHS more than it costs to buy them directly in the shop, through a combination of clinician time, dispensing fees, and delivery charges. Currently the ICB spends £240,000 per year on prescription of GF foods.
The ICB is now undertaking an exercise to understand the impact of reducing or stopping the prescribing of gluten-free foods. Before making any decision, we want to hear your views.
Tell us what you think.
Please complete our survey by Monday 6th October so we can take your views into account.