A NATIONAL charity has hit out at proposed cuts to gluten free prescriptions for patients across Worcestershire following the announcement of a joint consultation by South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) along with Wyre Forest CCG and Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG.
Coeliac disease is a serious auto-immune condition caused by a reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
The Coeliac UK charity says any cuts to gluten free prescriptions will affect the ability of sufferers to stick to a gluten free diet – the only treatment for the condition.
The potential serious long term health complications of not doing so include osteoporosis, infertility and, in some rare cases, small bowel cancer, conditions that could cost the NHS a lot more in the long run.
The charity says experts have calculated the cost of gluten free food to the NHS equates to £194.24 per diagnosed patient per year, making it a low cost treatment that addresses potential health inequality due to the higher cost and limited availability of gluten free food. Last year Worcestershire CCGs spent a total of £288,134 on prescribed gluten free foods for patients.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK said: “Research published in 2015 found that budget supermarkets, most frequented by people on lower incomes and an essential lifeline in rural communities, stocked no gluten free food.”
The charity also refutes the claim made in the consultation which states: ‘There are also a number of naturally gluten-free carbohydrates which are widely available that can be used instead of foods like bread and pasta. These include rice, potatoes and flour alternatives such as millet and corn flour.’
However the charity says replacing 72g of gluten free bread with a portion of rice containing the same calories would reduce the iron content by 96 per cent and calcium by 90 per cent.
The consultation runs until the April 12, 2017 and the survey can be found at: http://bit.ly/2ndzEyh
Mari Gay, interim chief operating officer for the three Worcestershire CCGs, said: “We face a significant financial challenge.
“We are aware of the Coeliac Society’s concerns around some of these proposals and will be discussing these with them in more detail over the coming weeks.”
