29 January 2025

The NHS in Cheshire and Merseyside (CM) is asking people for their views about stopping gluten free products on prescription in the area.  

The Integrated Care Board (ICB) has launched a six-week public consultation and is keen to understand the impact of the proposed changes on patients and their families before any decisions are made.  

The ICB currently has mixed policies, while most places offer gluten free bread and flour on prescription to patients diagnosed coeliac disease, prescriptions are not available in St Helens and West Cheshire. The ICB is looking to harmonise its policies, and the proposal is to stop prescribing across the region. Prescriptions for gluten free products are taken up by approximately 2,300 people across Cheshire and Merseyside. The ICB also covers two of the top five most income-deprived local authorities in England*, this could have a huge impact on these communities, with cost of gluten free bread being more four times higher gluten containing equivalents. 

The public consultation, which closes on Tuesday 11 March 2025, will inform future decisions made by the ICB as to whether it should continue to prescribe gluten free products. 

Have your say 

Coeliac UK strongly opposes this proposal and will be responding in due course. We are concerned about the impact it will have on the community and would encourage anyone living in the area to share their views through the consultation survey here. Paper copies of the questionnaire can also be requested by emailing: engagement@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk or by telephone: 0151 295 3052 

Read more about why gluten free prescriptions matter here 

You can also sign our petition to protect NHS prescription support for those with coeliac disease at a national level here. 

*^{reference: Exploring local income deprivation (2021) Home - Office for National Statistics. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/dvc1371/#/E07000223 (Accessed: 22 January 2025).}