Consultation response: 'Items which should not be routinely prescribed in primary care'

This submission is in response to the NHS consultation on “Items which should not be routinely prescribed in primary care”. The consultations seeks views on a proposal to restrict primary care professionals (such as GPs) from prescribing 18 specific treatments used for a range of conditions. The consultation also asks for initial thoughts on plans to restrict primary care professionals from prescribing treatments which could otherwise be purchased over the counter without a prescription.

National Voices, the coalition of health and care charities in England, has a number of concerns about the nature of this consultation process, the legality of some of the proposals and the potential impact these could have on some of the most vulnerable patients.

This document follows our policy position statement, released in July 2017, on the same subject.