A man who has suffered from coeliac disease since the 1960s has criticised the discontinuation of gluten-free food prescriptions. Michael Glover, from Loughborough, is amongst approximately 1,300 people affected by the move, set to take place from 1 February, by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB). The board states that the change will save it over £250,000 annually. A lengthy consultation with doctors, patients and the public supported the decision, although most people consulted were opposed to it, according to the ICB. The board added that advice on staying healthy will continue to be available as well as assistance with diet and lifestyle choices.
Gluten-free loaves will cost six times the price of normal bread for coeliac sufferers, according to Coeliac UK head of advocacy Tristan Humphreys. Glover commented that the change is “preventing, it’s a medicine – they’re supplying something for you that you need.” He added that low-income people would find bread from shops particularly expensive. Dr Mohamed Shiha, gastroenterology registrar at University Hospitals of Leicester, called the discontinuation of prescriptions “short-sighted and backwards”. He added that without support for gluten-free diets, increased costs may result in a higher long-term expenditure.
Coeliac disease affects between one in 100 and one in 200 people in Western countries and is a genetic disorder resulting in an inability to digest gluten found in wheat, barley and rye. It is often hereditary and can develop at any age. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, tiredness and skin rash. The only treatment is a gluten-free diet. However, some gluten-free ingredients are expensive, and the staple product, bread, is difficult to obtain naturally gluten-free. Campaigners have started a petition to reverse the decision
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