Post by kickingfrog on Mar 16, 2016 10:11:06 GMT
In defence of the NHS's gluten-free prescriptions
Posted by Lily P on 14/3/2016, 12:21:05
GF board
Good article from Rosie Norman
**********************
In defence of the NHS's gluten-free prescriptions
There has been uproar this week over prescriptions for gluten-free products,
but the truth is, they are a lifeline for many...
By Rosie Norman
19 Aug 2015
...there was uproar at reports that gluten-free food on prescription costs the NHS £116 million per year.
The implication was that coeliacs are gorging themselves on fast food, at the cost of the taxpayer,
and contributing to the obesity epidemic.
But we shouldn't be too quick to judge.....
..As Barbara Holt, gastroenterology specialist dietitian at King’s College Hospital, puts it: “Gluten free products on prescription such as bread, pasta, flour and cereal are staple foods within a healthy balanced diet.
"Not once have I requested a GP to prescribe doughnuts, burger mixes or pasties. I think it is very unfair and misleading to state that this is a regular occurrence.”
The truth is, for coeliacs, gluten-free food is actually a form of ‘medicine’. In fact, the only proven treatment for coeliacs is a strict gluten-free diet for life.
I was diagnosed with coeliac disease in my teenage years. This is a life-long, autoimmune disease caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
...At diagnosis, having the disease meant I had brittle bones, anaemia and was grossly underweight....
...Following a gluten-free diet has so far enabled me to live a full and healthy life. And now working as a dietitian, I’ve seen how this disease can affect others.
Many find it very difficult to follow a gluten-free diet and need to have staple substitute items such as bread, flour and pasta in order to make that diet practical.
The problem is in supermarkets, these items can cost 3-4 times more than the gluten-filled counterparts, which over a year can add up to hundreds of extra pounds.
And that’s if you can find the substitutes, which are more scarce in budget supermarkets or convenience stores.
...what is the real cost of prescribing gluten-free products on the NHS?
In 2014 it was apparently £26.8 million (not £116 million), making the annual cost per diagnosed patient £180.
This cost is both a treatment and preventative measure, being arguably cheaper than treating the associated health conditions coeliacs risk developing if they don’t comply strictly with their diet.
“Undiagnosed or untreated coeliac disease can lead to osteoporosis, infertility and in rare cases, small bowel cancer and without support, people with coeliac disease are at greater risk of these complications” said Sleet [Sarah Sleet, CEO of Coeliac UK, coeliac charity ] .....
A few loaves of gluten-free bread on prescription certainly seems the preferable option.
www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11811653/In-defence-of-the-NHSs-gluten-free-prescriptions.html
Posted by Lily P on 14/3/2016, 12:21:05
GF board
Good article from Rosie Norman
**********************
In defence of the NHS's gluten-free prescriptions
There has been uproar this week over prescriptions for gluten-free products,
but the truth is, they are a lifeline for many...
By Rosie Norman
19 Aug 2015
...there was uproar at reports that gluten-free food on prescription costs the NHS £116 million per year.
The implication was that coeliacs are gorging themselves on fast food, at the cost of the taxpayer,
and contributing to the obesity epidemic.
But we shouldn't be too quick to judge.....
..As Barbara Holt, gastroenterology specialist dietitian at King’s College Hospital, puts it: “Gluten free products on prescription such as bread, pasta, flour and cereal are staple foods within a healthy balanced diet.
"Not once have I requested a GP to prescribe doughnuts, burger mixes or pasties. I think it is very unfair and misleading to state that this is a regular occurrence.”
The truth is, for coeliacs, gluten-free food is actually a form of ‘medicine’. In fact, the only proven treatment for coeliacs is a strict gluten-free diet for life.
I was diagnosed with coeliac disease in my teenage years. This is a life-long, autoimmune disease caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
...At diagnosis, having the disease meant I had brittle bones, anaemia and was grossly underweight....
...Following a gluten-free diet has so far enabled me to live a full and healthy life. And now working as a dietitian, I’ve seen how this disease can affect others.
Many find it very difficult to follow a gluten-free diet and need to have staple substitute items such as bread, flour and pasta in order to make that diet practical.
The problem is in supermarkets, these items can cost 3-4 times more than the gluten-filled counterparts, which over a year can add up to hundreds of extra pounds.
And that’s if you can find the substitutes, which are more scarce in budget supermarkets or convenience stores.
...what is the real cost of prescribing gluten-free products on the NHS?
In 2014 it was apparently £26.8 million (not £116 million), making the annual cost per diagnosed patient £180.
This cost is both a treatment and preventative measure, being arguably cheaper than treating the associated health conditions coeliacs risk developing if they don’t comply strictly with their diet.
“Undiagnosed or untreated coeliac disease can lead to osteoporosis, infertility and in rare cases, small bowel cancer and without support, people with coeliac disease are at greater risk of these complications” said Sleet [Sarah Sleet, CEO of Coeliac UK, coeliac charity ] .....
A few loaves of gluten-free bread on prescription certainly seems the preferable option.
www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11811653/In-defence-of-the-NHSs-gluten-free-prescriptions.html