Update on gluten free prescribing in England

For all coeliac patients – Please read this recent update from Coeliac UK

“In case you missed it in our February newsletter, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced their decision to retain access to gluten free bread and flour mixes on prescription. If you missed the announcement, you can read more on our website at www.coeliac.org.uk/nationalconsultation.

While the decision has been announced by the DHSC, the regulations which will change the availability of foods on prescription in England still needs to be developed. This process is likely to take some time and Coeliac UK will be involved in developing the regulations to make sure that they meet the needs of people with coeliac disease. We will keep you informed as we learn more about the introduction of this regulation.

Since the decision was announced, we have been in contact with all clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England where access to gluten free food on prescription has been withdrawn, or where local consultations have been held. CCGs are autonomous and do not have to follow the national decision which has been announced by the DHSC. However, this national decision makes restrictive policies much more difficult to justify and we have asked for details of their plans to review their local policies. Some CCGs may wait until the final regulations are developed before reviewing their policies, while others may carry out reviews sooner. We will keep members updated as we hear back from individual CCGs.”