Chancellor freezes charges to keep prescriptions under a tenner
The Chancellor is extending the freeze on NHS prescription charges next year to keep prescriptions under a tenner, saving patients around 拢12 million next year.
- Rachel Reeves announces听cost of听a single听prescription听will remain at 拢9.90, as she takes firm action to tackle the cost of living ahead of next week鈥檚 Budget听听
- The move听is further evidence of the government鈥檚 commitment to keep bills down for working people听and听ensure all patients can receive the treatment they need.
The Chancellor听has announced that NHS prescription charges听will听remain frozen next year,听which will听help听millions of听hard-working听people听with the cost of living and听ensure听patients听have access to the听care they听need.听听听
Ahead of next week鈥檚 Budget, Rachel Reeves听confirmed that the cost of a single prescription will听be frozen听at 拢9.90 鈥� saving patients around 拢12 million听next year.听听
This will not only continue to support patients with the cost of living but also help ensure that no patient places themselves at risk by not taking their medication due to the cost of picking it up.听
It comes as the Chancellor sets out the fair choices she will take at the Budget to deliver on the public鈥檚 priorities to cut NHS waiting lists, cut national debt and cut the cost of living.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:听
No one should put their health at risk because they can鈥檛 afford their medication, and as the cost of living still puts pressure on households I鈥檓 extending the cash freeze on prescription charges.
Since taking office,听we鈥檝e听been committed to fixing the NHS, and waiting lists are down by 230,000 over the past year. At next week鈥檚 Budget I will take the fair choices to deliver what matters most to the country:听cutting听waiting lists,听cutting听the cost of听living听and cutting听the national debt.
At听last year鈥檚 Budget, the Chancellor took action to freeze NHS prescription charges for the first time in three years and in her efforts to ease the cost of听living, this听year the Chancellor has decided to extend the freeze over the next year.听听
Around 89% of prescriptions in England are already dispensed free of charge to children, over-60s, pregnant women, and those with certain medical conditions.
Three month and annual prescriptions prepayment certificates will also be frozen for 2026/27 keeping costs low for those with a regular need for prescriptions.听 听听
In addition to the freeze on charges, the NHS Low Income Scheme offers help with prescription payments, with free prescriptions for eligible people in certain groups such as pensioners, students, and those who receive state benefits or live in care homes.听
Extending the freeze on prescription costs is part of this government鈥檚 wider action to ease the cost of living, having already rolled out free breakfast clubs, increased the National Living Wage worth an extra 拢1,400 per year for millions of working people and protected the pensions triple lock.
Secretary of State for the Department of Health & Social Care, Wes Streeting said:
This government will always put patients first, and our moves today to freeze prescription charges again will put money back into the pockets of millions of people.
We鈥檝e already made the made the morning-after pill available free of charge at all pharmacies, and as well as keeping prescriptions under a tenner, we鈥檙e making sure you can get the care you need closer to home to keep travel costs down.
We are fixing our NHS and making it so it鈥檚 once again there for you when you need it.
Thanks to the choices of this government, for the first time in 15 years waiting lists have begun to fall through record investment and modernisation.听The backlog has听been cut听by more than听230,000听and the government has met its promise of听delivering more than 5 million extra appointments since the election.听
Next week鈥檚 Budget will deliver on the government鈥檚 mandate for change and the priorities of the British people: cutting waiting lists, cutting the national听debt听and cutting the cost of living.听
It will be听a听Budget听that builds听a fairer, more prosperous Britain with an economy that works for everyone.