Coeliac disease is a recognised medical condition that requires treatment in the form of gluten free food. So how dare they?
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May 31st, 2006 at 9:14 pm
Gav - how much more does gluten free food cost over normal food? Because coeliac is a cronic condition (i.e can’t be cured), does that mean you get free prescriptions? I had one for epilepsy…
May 31st, 2006 at 9:15 pm
I have just noticed you’re number 1 on google for:
conflakes and banana.
WTF?
June 1st, 2006 at 9:34 am
It’s all about gluten free Cornflakes!
It is chronic, but I don’t get free prescriptions — instead I purchase an annual prescription for around £90.
A single packet of flour which can be used to cook one normal-sized loaf costs £6.95. Basically, if the NHS stopped funding the provision of this food it would mean that poor coeliacs would start eating gluten-containing foods (if their immediate reaction isn’t anti-social) or would not eat a balanced diet. It’s really quite short-sighted, actually, because the increases in cancers, osteoporosis, collitis, Crohn’s disease and other complications arising from non-compliance would increase and cost the NHS money that it cannot avoid spending.
July 1st, 2007 at 11:29 pm
There has already been an early day motion in parliament condemning any further cutbacks in GF prescriptions and my MP supported it at my request, as did almost all Northern Ireland Westminster MPs. For once it was something that they could actually agree on. Perhaps it set a trend for the recent political agreement. Personally I get very few prescriptions, maybe 5-10 a year as I don’t like any GF bread and buy supermarket biscuits but I appreciate that many want to be able to and need to use them.
One of my gripes is that GF cereals like corn flakes should be available on prescription but are not. Cereals constitute a staple of UK diets yet we are not allowed these on prescription. By the way I have posted your petition link on the gluten free message board to try to get some more signatures.