End of coeliac bread prescription 'a kick in teeth'

Michael Glover from Loughborough has lived with coeliac disease since the 1960s

A coeliac disease sufferer from Leicestershire has said the decision to stop gluten-free food prescriptions is "another kick in the teeth" for people with the condition.

Michael Glover, from Loughborough, was diagnosed with the auto immune disorder at the age of five in 1967 and feels support for sufferers has reduced over the years.

His prescription for gluten-free bread is one of about 1,300 which will be stopped from 1 February by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB).

It will save the NHS locally more than £250,000 a year, said the ICB, but Mr Glover said he believes more people will fall ill as a result of the change.

He said: "You eat a bit of gluten you can get bad stomach aches, real bad bloatedness, diarrhoea, headaches, it can knock you off your feet.

"It's a disgusting decision. It's preventative, it's a medicine - they're supplying something for you that you need.

"If you're taking it away, people who are on lower incomes are not going to be able to cope. The cost of bread in a supermarket for coeliacs is not cheap.

"It's another kick in the teeth."

'Significant financial pressure'

The ICB said the decision followed a "lengthy" consultation with the public, patient groups and medical practitioners, which sought the views of 1,468 people.

But it has admitted the majority of people consulted disagreed with the decision to stop providing up to eight units of gluten-free bread or flour on prescription.

The ICB added the change will move the area in line with other parts of the NHS in the East Midlands and it will provide additional support for those with the condition, including advice and guidance on diet, lifestyle and staying healthy.

Dr Nil Sanganee, chief medical officer, said the ICB "fully appreciates the impact" of "what is a very difficult decision" taken at a time of significant financial pressure on the NHS.

Dr Sanganee said: "For coeliac disease, there is now a much wider range of specific gluten-free products available than previously, in addition to the wide variety of naturally gluten-free food including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, cheese and eggs.

"It is possible to eat a gluten-free diet without the need for any specialist dietary foods."

Charity Coeliac UK has called for the decision to be reversed.

Dr Mohamed Shiha, gastroenterology registrar at University Hospitals of Leicester, said the end of prescriptions is "short-sighted and backwards".

He said: "By not supporting patients to maintain their gluten free diet today, we risk paying a far higher price for treating associated conditions down the line.

"This is bad news for the NHS and devastating for the individual."

Coeliac UK head of advocacy Tristan Humphreys said gluten-free loaves will cost "on average six times as much" for those with condition "at a time when the cost of living crisis is hitting people with coeliac disease particularly hard".

People affected will be contacted by January, said the ICB.