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Food support favoured for coeliacs

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Food support favoured for coeliacs

A recent article featured in the British Medical Journal has highlighted the debate about whether gluten-free prescriptions for people with coeliac disease should be removed.

Contributors to the article, Should gluten-free foods be available on prescription?, agreed that patients with coeliac disease should receive support from the NHS to access gluten-free staple foods but their views clashed over how this should be provided.

Gastroenterology experts David Sanders and Matthew Kurien, and Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK, argue that while removing gluten-free food prescriptions might seem like an easy target for clinical commissioning groups trying to make savings, this would unfairly discriminate against people with coeliac disease. They commented: “Targeting gluten-free food prescriptions may reduce costs in the short term but there will be long term costs in terms of patient outcomes.”

On the other hand, James Cave, a GP from Newbury, argued: “The eight basic gluten-free staples advised for people with coeliac disease are all cheaper from a supermarket than the NHS price,” thus pointing out the money that could be saved by the NHS if gluten-free prescriptions were scrapped. Instead, Mr Cave suggested a national voucher scheme or a personalised health budget for patients so they receive the difference between the cost of gluten-free products and the prescription.

Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK, said in response to the article: “Nobody in this article is denying the need for support for people with coeliac disease in accessing staple gluten-free foods such as breads and flours.”

She continued: “We agree that other ways such as voucher schemes may provide a better solution all round and have supported trials of this approach. But we deeply object to healthcare commissioners who find it easier to cut services rather than put in place alternatives which will maintain some level of service to patients. Thankfully Dr Cave does not believe the patient should pay the price of poor procurement.”

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