NHS prescriptions: Full list of health conditions that qualify for free medication | Personal Finance | Finance

People in England who are not exempt from prescription charges will have to pay the £9.35 per item fee – but there are 10 medical conditions that qualify for free prescriptions.

People with certain medical conditions can get free NHS prescriptions.

Medical exemption certificates are credit-card-size cards. They are issued to people who have these certain conditions:

A person is entitled to a medical exemption certificate if they have either:

– a permanent fistula (for example, caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) which needs continuous surgical dressing or an appliance
– a form of hypoadrenalism (for example, 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 (that is, hypothyroidism which needs thyroid hormone replacement)
– epilepsy which needs continuous anticonvulsive therapy
– a continuing physical disability which means you cannot go out without the help of another person
– cancer and are undergoing treatment for either: