HC Deb 20 November 2003 vol 413 cc1187-8W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those medical conditions which allow free prescriptions to be claimed. [135258]

Mr. Touhig

This information is available in the leaflet HC11—Help with Health Costs, which states that free NHS prescriptions can be claimed by those who have a valid medical certificate issued because of the following conditionsPermanent fistula (including caecostomy, colostomy, ileostomy or laryngostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or an appliance Forms of hypoadrenalism (including Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential Diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism Diabetes mellitus except where treatment is by diet alone Hypoparathyroidism Myasthenia gravis Myxoedema (Hypothyroidism) or other conditions where supplemental thyroid hormone is necessary. Epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy A continuing physical disability which prevents the patient leaving his residence except with the help of another person.

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) free and (b) charged for prescriptions were issued in each year since 1997. [135288]

Mr. Touhig

The information is given in the following table:

Prescriptions items dispensed in the community within Wales
£ million
Free of charge Charged
1997–981 32.2 4.4
1998–991 33.1 4.5
2001–02 38.0 5.1
2002–03 40.4 5.3
1 Estimate based on a 5 per cent. sample.

Data for 1999–2000 is not available. Data for 1997–99 relates to the responsibility of the former Welsh Office, while the figures since then are the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales.

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many free prescriptions to the chronically ill were issued in each year since 1997. [135289]

Mr. Touhig

Information collected centrally for the National Assembly for Wales on prescriptions exempt from charge in Wales relates only to those conditions which are medically exempt. As prescription items dispensed for other chronic conditions are not identified separately it is not possible to give an overall figure.

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