Almost half a million people in the UK live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Most are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, meaning they face a lifetime of managing a serious, often invisible illness during their working years.
Chronic conditions like IBD place a huge strain on individuals and the NHS, with long-term illness costing health and care services an estimated £115.2bn annually. With 25,000 new IBD diagnoses each year, the case for better, more affordable management of the condition is not just a health issue, it is an economic and political imperative if Labour is to build an NHS that is fit for the future.
While Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have rightly abolished prescription charges, England continues to impose the standard £9.90 fee, leaving many IBD patients to shoulder a recurring cost every few weeks. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, this is a financial burden that disproportionately affects those living with chronic illness at a time when the government is trying to get more people back to work.
Prescription charges are more than a financial inconvenience, they are a health risk. A 2023 survey by the Prescription Charges Coalition, involving 4,000 individuals with long-term conditions, found that nearly one in ten had skipped medication due to cost. Over half (53 percent) reported taking time off work due to deteriorating health. These figures highlight a troubling reality: when patients are forced to choose between medication and other essentials, their health – and productivity – suffers.
For employers, this also translates into lost productivity. The think tank Demos estimates that the annual cost to UK businesses from IBD-related absenteeism is around £600m annually. NHS hospital admissions related to IBD have surged by almost 27 per cent in recent years, rising from 282,335 in 2019-20 to 358,063 in 2023-24. These admissions are often preventable with proper medication adherence, which is undermined by financial barriers.
Most IBD patients are also diagnosed well before the age of 60, when they would become eligible for free prescriptions. This means they face the burden of paying for essential medications throughout most, if not all, of their working lives. While Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPCs) – which covers all NHS prescriptions for a set price – offer some relief, uptake remains low. In 2023-24, only one in three patients who could benefit used a 12-month PPC. More guidance and support are needed to help patients navigate these options and manage their condition effectively.
The government insists that ‘extensive arrangements’ exist to make prescriptions affordable in England. Yet one of its key mechanisms, the list of medical conditions eligible for free prescriptions, has barely changed since 1968. Back then, IBD was neither well understood nor as prevalent as it is today. This has resulted in thousands of patients being excluded from vital support due to an outdated framework that fails to reflect modern medical realities.
Community pharmacy teams also feel the strain. Their role should be focused on supporting patients and dispensing necessary treatments. Removing prescription charges would allow pharmacists to concentrate on care, not cost.
A change in policy directly aligns with the government’s health priorities. The York Health Economics Consortium estimated that eliminating prescription charges for IBD patients could save the NHS approximately £20m annually. These savings would come from improved symptom management at home, fewer relapses and flares, reduced bowel cancer incidence, and fewer GP visits.
When patients are supported, the whole system benefits. Better access and adherence to medication leads to better health outcomes, reduced hospital admissions, and lower long-term costs for the NHS. This directly supports two key priorities outlined in the NHS’s ten-year plan: shifting care from hospital to community, and from sickness to prevention. It also enables individuals to remain active in work and education, contributing to society.
In response to these challenges, Tillotts has launched the A Chronic Cost campaign, advocating for the abolition of prescription charges for IBD patients in England. The campaign recognises the complexity of achieving this goal, especially in light of the government’s decision to freeze prescription charges at £9.90 earlier this year, a move positioned as a success, despite its limited impact on affordability. As interim steps, the campaign calls on the government to:
- Review the medical exemption list for prescription charges
- Assess the cost-effectiveness of scrapping charges for IBD patients
To support its cause, the campaign has developed an interactive heat map of IBD-related data by constituency across England, alongside a tool that enables users to email their local MP.
A patient survey and report are also in development. A parliamentary reception is scheduled for 28 October 2025 to further raise awareness and drive policy change. This campaign is not just for those living with IBD, it’s for anyone who believes in fairness, equity, and a healthcare system that supports rather than penalises chronic illness.
By removing prescription charges, we can empower patients to manage their condition effectively, reduce pressure on the NHS, and improve outcomes across the board.
If you would like to learn more about the campaign A Chronic Cost, support our efforts, or attend the upcoming parliamentary reception on 28 October 2025, please contact us at: info@achroniccost.co.uk.
NU-02722 | October 2025
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