Why Parkinson’s must be added to the prescription exemption list – Adam Jogee MP

Living with Parkinson’s is hard enough. It’s a progressive neurological condition that affects every part of a person’s life – from their movement and speech to their mental wellbeing. The medications prescribed are not optional. They are essential, not only to manage symptoms but to maintain some sense of independence and stability.

And yet, in 2025, people with Parkinson’s in England are still being asked to pay for those prescriptions.

That’s because Parkinson’s is not included on the NHS medical exemption list – a list created almost 60 years ago, when our understanding of long-term conditions was far more limited than it is today. While the list covers some conditions, it excludes many others. It hasn’t kept pace with medical science, with public health priorities, or with common decency.

What makes this even harder to justify is that England stands alone. Prescription charges have already been scrapped in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – but here, people with long-term health conditions are still penalised for needing the medicine that keeps them well.

Let’s be clear: people with Parkinson’s should not be forced to choose between medication and other essentials. And yet we know that prescription charges are a real barrier. Parkinson’s UK, who I’m proud to support in this campaign, have heard from people who skip doses, reduce their intake, or simply go without. That is not a safe or sustainable system.

Research shows that nearly one in five people with long-term conditions skip doses of their medicine, and many cut pills in half just to make them last. For others, prescriptions are left uncollected altogether – not because they aren’t needed, but because they simply can’t afford them.

At the start of February, I raised the issue in Parliament – drawing attention to the local reality in Newcastle-under-Lyme and paying tribute to my constituent Julie from Bradwell. Julie has lived experience of Parkinson’s and has campaigned for years with strength and determination to make sure others with the condition get the support they need. It was clear from the Minister’s response that this is a conversation that needs to continue, and I’ll be making sure it does.

This week, I also discussed Julie’s case in a meeting with Health Minister Karin Smyth. She, like so many others, is facing the injustice of a system that makes it harder – and more expensive – to live well with Parkinson’s. Her story is one I’ll continue to carry with me in Westminster.

In my view, this is a matter of fairness. People over 60, children, pregnant women, and those with a handful of specific health conditions are exempt from prescription charges in England. But many living with chronic and life-limiting conditions fall through the cracks.

Parkinson’s UK have put forward a number of constructive proposals to help ease the burden on people with long-term conditions. These include freezing the prescription charge in 2025, reviewing the medical exemption list, and improving awareness of support schemes like the NHS Low Income Scheme and the Prescription Prepayment Certificate. They’ve also highlighted the impact of shortened prescription durations, which can increase costs and create barriers to access.

Now is the right moment to look again at how we support people managing long-term conditions. I’ll continue to work with Ministers and organisations like Parkinson’s UK to make the case for sensible, compassionate reform.

No one should have to pay to stay alive. That’s the principle at the heart of this issue – and it’s one I’ll keep fighting for in Parliament.