Individuals with coeliac illness and gluten intolerance in Wales will probably be eligible for a pay as you go card designed to assist in direction of the price of specialised meals.
The debit-style subsidy playing cards will probably be rolled out in a UK-first this autumn, the Welsh authorities mentioned on Friday. The scheme goals is to offer folks with situations equivalent to coeliac illness and dermatitis herpetiformis entry to a wider vary of gluten-free meals at supermarkets and on-line, reasonably than counting on prescriptions from a pharmacy.
Cash will probably be added to playing cards each three months and the quantity for every affected person will fluctuate and be repeatedly reviewed.The brand new system was anticipated to be “value impartial”, the Welsh authorities mentioned in a press release.
The Welsh cupboard secretary for well being and social care, Jeremy Miles, mentioned: “For folks residing with coeliac illness, following a strict gluten-free eating regimen shouldn’t be a way of life selection however a medical necessity. The scheme will contribute to decreasing administrative burdens on GPs and pharmacies, whereas selling a more practical use of NHS assets.”
About one in 100 folks within the UK have coeliac illness, however solely 36% with the situation in Wales have been medically identified, in accordance with the charity Coeliac UK.
The illness is an autoimmune dysfunction triggered by gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley, and rye, that causes the physique to assault its personal tissues and an impaired uptake in vitamins. Signs embody bloating, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, and ulcers. In severe circumstances, it could actually result in osteoporosis, nerve issues, infertility, and small bowel most cancers.
The one remedy for the power situation is a strictly gluten-free eating regimen, which Coeliac UK says can add as much as 35% to meals payments.
The brand new card scheme was examined over 5 years by the Hywel Dda College Health Board, which covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire.
Cherylee Barker, 54, from Narbeth in Pembrokeshire, took half within the pilot and was given £42 each three months in direction of the price of gluten-free meals. “I used to be identified with coeliac illness in 2007 and shortly realised that sustaining a gluten-free eating regimen can be pricey, with restricted procuring choices and hit-and-miss meals decisions,” she mentioned.
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“I jumped on the probability to affix the pilot. I may attempt new merchandise with out feeling financially stretched and take again management of my eating regimen. The cardboard empowers me to purchase the meals I need and make higher way of life decisions.”
Individuals in Wales who obtain gluten-free meals on prescription can have the choice to proceed with the previous system, much like that in place in England, Scotland and Northern Eire.