West Yorkshire among highest NHS prescription spenders

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 28 Oct, 06:00 · Archive

West Yorkshire is the third-highest spender per person on NHS prescriptions but has the largest overall spending in England.

A new study by Cured Pharmacy has found that the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board spends £292.42 per person on prescriptions, the third-highest rate in England. Despite ranking third per person, West Yorkshire topped the list for total prescription costs at £791,785,012 and dispensed 35.5 items per person—the highest volume nationally.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ranked first at £379.82 per person, while Herefordshire and Worcestershire came second at £347.81. At the other end of the scale, North West London recorded the lowest spend at £115.74 per person.

Tarun Kumar, co-founder and superintendent pharmacist of Cured Pharmacy, said the variation across England was striking. He noted that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough spends more than three times per person what North West London does. "The gap is largely driven by the cost of individual prescriptions rather than the volume," he said.

Kumar suggested the differences could reflect varying types of medications being prescribed. "This could reflect higher proportions of specialist or newer treatments in certain areas," he explained.

Integrated Care Boards are NHS organisations responsible for planning health services for their local population. The figures are based on prescription data from the NHS Business Services Authority and population data from NHS England.

How it is being reported

• Find out where West Yorkshire ranks for NHS prescription spendingWEST Yorkshire is among the highest spenders on NHS prescriptionsTelegraph & Argus · 28 Oct, 05:00
• Find out where West Yorkshire ranks for NHS prescription spendingWEST Yorkshire is among the highest spenders on NHS prescriptionsKeighley News · 28 Oct, 05:00
• Find out where West Yorkshire ranks for NHS prescription spendingPRESCRIPTION spending in West Yorkshire is among the highest in EnglandWharfedale Observer · 28 Oct, 05:00

In this story: West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board · Cured Pharmacy · Tarun Kumar · Cambridgeshire and Peterborough · North West London · Herefordshire and Worcestershire

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