Gluten-free bread prescriptions continue for under-25s in NHS review

Children and young people will still be able to get gluten-free bread and flour mix on prescription from the NHS, after a review by the region's Integrated Care Board (ICB).

North East and North Cumbria ICB had earlier put forward a proposal to stop prescribing gluten-free bread and flour mix, but it is changing its plans after receiving more than 1,400 comments during a six-week public listening period.

The region's NHS currently provides gluten-free bread and flour mix to around 4,000 people, many of whom have a diagnosis of coeliac disease, at a cost of around £700,000 a year.

Professor Ewan Maule, clinical director at the ICB, said: "The NHS has to make difficult decisions about how we use our limited resources, but following public involvement, we're pleased to proceed with an option that protects some of our most vulnerable patients. Child poverty is a major concern in our region, so it's good to continue offering support for children and young people as they grow and adapt to a coeliac diagnosis. 

"The way we provide some NHS services needs to change to ensure funding is used fairly and effectively. When the NHS first started providing tinned gluten-free bread in the 1960s, it was almost impossible to find these products elsewhere. Today, things have improved significantly - gluten-free foods are widely available in supermarkets, online, and even corner shops, with clear labelling to support safe choices.

"As the NHS now cares for many more people with complex, long-term health conditions, we must make sure our spending delivers the greatest benefit. The NHS does not provide specialist food products for people with other dietary conditions, such as nut allergies or lactose intolerance, so this approach helps create a fairer and more consistent health system for everyone. 

The review follows a change in national guidance from NHS England, which said commissioning organisations can stop prescribing gluten-free foods if that is appropriate for their population. Many other areas in England have already stopped gluten-free prescribing. 

All NHS prescriptions are handled through a rigorous process designed to ensure safe use of medicines, so a packet of bread mix can cost the NHS more than £10, compared to around £2.27 in a supermarket.

The change in prescribing for only under-25-year-olds to continue to receive gluten-free bread and flour mix in the North East and North Cumbria will take effect from 1 March 2026.