Wales To Roll Out Subsidy Cards To Help Reduce Cost Of Gluten-free Food

People pinch coeliac illness and gluten intolerance successful Wales will beryllium eligible for a pre-paid paper designed to thief towards nan costs of specialised foods.

The debit-style subsidy cards will beryllium rolled retired successful a UK-first this autumn, nan Welsh authorities said connected Friday. The strategy intends is to springiness group pinch conditions specified arsenic coeliac illness and dermatitis herpetiformis entree to a wider scope of gluten-free nutrient astatine supermarkets and online, alternatively than relying connected prescriptions from a pharmacy.

Money will beryllium added to cards each 3 months and magnitude for patients will alteration and beryllium regularly reviewed.The caller strategy is expected to beryllium “cost neutral”, nan Welsh authorities said successful a statement.

The Welsh furniture caput for wellness and societal care, Jeremy Miles, said: “For group surviving pinch coeliac disease, pursuing a strict gluten-free fare is not a manner prime but a aesculapian necessity.

“The strategy will lend to reducing administrative burdens connected GPs and pharmacies, while promoting a much effective usage of NHS resources.”

About 1 successful 100 group successful nan UK person coeliac disease, but only 36% pinch nan information successful Wales person been medically diagnosed, according to kindness Coeliac UK.

The illness is an autoimmune upset triggered by gluten, a macromolecule recovered successful wheat, barley, and rye, that causes nan assemblage to onslaught its ain tissues and an impaired uptake successful nutrients. Symptoms see bloating, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, and ulcers. In superior cases, it tin lead to osteoporosis, nervus problems, infertility, and mini bowel cancer.

The only curen for nan chronic information is simply a strictly gluten-free diet, which Coeliac UK says tin adhd up to 35% to nutrient bills.

The caller paper strategy was tested complete 5 years by nan Hywel Dda University Health Board, which covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire.

Cherylee Barker, 54, from Narbeth successful Pembrokeshire, took portion successful nan aviator and was fixed £42 each 3 months towards nan costs of gluten-free foods.

“I was diagnosed pinch coeliac illness successful 2007 and quickly realised that maintaining a gluten-free fare would beryllium costly, pinch constricted shopping options and hit-and-miss nutrient choices,” she said.

“I jumped astatine nan chance to subordinate nan pilot. I could effort caller products without emotion financially stretched and return backmost power of my diet. The paper empowers maine to bargain nan nutrient I want and make amended manner choices.”

People successful Wales who person gluten-free nutrient connected medicine will person nan action to continuing pinch nan aged system, akin to that successful spot successful England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.