If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
As many of you will know, the availability of gluten free food on prescription in England varies widely across the country. Unlike the other home nations, which provide a wide variety of gluten free food on prescription to everyone who has been diagnosed with coeliac disease, provision across England is much more restricted, and in some areas it may not be available at all.
Coeliac UK, the charity that supports people diagnosed with coeliac disease, describe this situation as a postcode lottery. They have been running a campaign aimed at persuading the UK Government to put this right by offering the same level of provision across all four home nations regardless of where you live.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, people who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease are provided with basics, such as bread and flour, as well as pizza bases, crackers, pasta and cereals. However, in England, gluten free food on prescription is restricted to bread and flour mixes, and even this provision is not available to all patients in all areas.
In England, local NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICB) will decide what budget, if any, will be allocated to gluten free food on prescription. This means neighbouring towns covered by different ICBs may have completely different provision for coeliac support. As budgets get tighter, more and more ICBs are restricting or withdrawing access to gluten free food on prescription.
On Wednesday 19th March, Coeliac UK went to 10 Downing Street to deliver a petition of over 20,000 signatures calling for action on the issue of gluten free food on prescription. ‘The petition highlighted the importance of protecting access to gluten free prescriptions for people with coeliac disease,’ said Coeliac UK. ‘Particularly those most in need.’
The petition was supported by leading healthcare professionals, including GP and Coeliac UK trustee, Dr Anita Patel and Consultant Gastroenterologist Dr Hugo Penny. The presentation team for the petition was joined by Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, Tom Rutland MP, Sharon Hodgson MP and Amanda Hack MP, among others.
The aim of the petition, and the ongoing campaign behind it, is simple: to encourage the UK Government to provide fair and equal access to gluten free food on prescription across the whole of the UK.
Following a gluten free diet is the only known treatment for coeliac disease. As such, it is important for patients who have been formally diagnosed with the condition to be able to access this treatment.
Here at Glutafin, we fully support the work of Coeliac UK in this important area. We know how vital it is for patients to have access to affordable gluten free food on prescription. We support coeliacs across the UK, whether they are able to order a wide range of gluten free food on prescription, or just bread and flour mixes.
To find out more about gluten free food on prescription from Glutafin, and to see what you may be entitled to in your area of the UK, simply enter your postcode on our website today or talk to your GP or dietitian. If your area does provide prescriptions, and you have been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease you can also request your free Glutafin taster box, packed with tasty samples from the Glutafin range for you to try.
Meanwhile, we will keep closely monitoring the situation regarding the Coeliac UK campaign and Government regulations, and we will keep you up to date with developments as and when they happen.
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
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