Petition · Department of Health and Social Care

Exempt students of all ages from the £9.90 NHS prescription charge

Closed 33 signatures

What the petition asks

We want the Government to exempt all students from the NHS prescription charge.
We believe the NHS is supposed to be cost-free – this is its pride and glory; we have to pay £9.90 per item. Rules state that you are exempt from charges if you are 16, 17 or 18 AND a student – however, many people become university students from 18 and up. We therefore feel students aren’t really exempt from this fee. We believe the point of the NHS is that you don't have to pay to receive medical care, but now we do, even if it is a small sum, it's still a cost, and a significant one for many students.

Timeline

14 Jan 2026 Petition opened for signatures
14 Jul 2026 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 33
Status Closed
Department Department of Health and Social Care
Opened 14 Jan 2026
Closed 14 Jul 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 29 Aug 2026.