John Healey will freeze the NHS prescription charge at £9.90 for another year in tomorrow's Budget, according to the Telegraph. The Treasury has not confirmed the report.
The Telegraph's Tony Diver posted on X:
"Exclusive: John Healey will freeze NHS prescription charges at £9.90 for another year in his Budget tomorrow."
He reported that the measure is one of the "breathing space" steps on household bills. The Independent said Healey "is expected to extend the freeze first brought in by Rachel Reeves".
The £9.90 figure matches the current charge. Government figures show that Rachel Reeves froze the single-item charge at that level in November 2025, with the freeze covering 2026/27. A further year would keep it at £9.90 beyond that point.
When Reeves announced the 2025 freeze, the saving to patients was put at about £12m in 2026/27. No costing has been reported for the new freeze.