The prescription charge hike from £9.65 to £9.90 will come into force tomorrow. READ MORE:Pharmacists have warned tomorrow will be a 'dark day' for patients as the cost of an NHS prescription rises to almost £10.
Of these, 88 per cent were eligible to receive NHS-funded care through the service, freeing up appointments with family doctors for people with more serious conditions. 'The relentless annual increase in the prescription charge is making medicines unaffordable for many. This is totally unacceptable. But the Prescription Charges Coalition, an alliance of more than 50 organisations, has called for an urgent review of the prescription charges exemption list.
'That's why we're calling on the UK Government to freeze the charge in 2025 and commit to urgently reviewing the prescription charge exemption list.' Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said: 'The Pharmacy First service continues to show immense promise, providing access to NHS care when and where patients need it.
Almost half said that consultations were taking 20 minutes on average, with 10 per cent saying they took 30 minutes or more.