It was announced today that dental charges and the cost of prescriptions will rise by 20p. The price of a prescription in England will go up to £7.85 on April 1st.
According to Health Minister Earl Howe, NHS dental charges will also increase at the same time; he outlined the alterations in a written statement to parliament, explaining that the cost of prescription pre-payment certificates (PPC) was not going to change. The cost of a three month PPC would remain at £29.10 for another year, with the annual PPC unchanged at £104. Minister Howe said that ‘PPC’s offer savings for those who need four or more items in three months or 14 or more in one year.’
Charges for dental treatment are to be increased by a small amount, with band 1 procedures rising by 50p to £18, band 2 from £48 to £49 and band 3 treatments will go from £209 up to £214. The Minister continued ‘dental charges represent an important contribution to the overall cost of dental services. The exact amount raised will be dependent upon the level and type of primary dental care services commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board and the proportion of charge-paying patients who attend dentists and the level of treatment they require.’
NHS optician vouchers are also affected by the changes, with the price increasing by 1%, to help patients with the cost of glasses and contact lenses.’