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The NHS in England is proposing to suspend the prescriptions of eight items in order to save £ 68 million a year.
A new NHS England consultation document presents eight products that are judged to be relatively low in clinical effectiveness, have lower available options, or are considered to have a "low priority" of funding.
Among these are silk clothes for patients with eczema for which the health department spends more than £ 1.2 million each year.
Other products include acne treatments, blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms and emollient bath and shower preparations.
NHS officials have previously been consulted on the removal of other items from the list of prescribed drugs, thus saving over £ 200 million by the health service.
NHS England has called for late routine prescriptions for 18 "low value products" such as homeopathy and over-the-counter products at lower cost, such as paracetamol and cough syrup.
(Image: Anthony Devlin / PA Wire)
This is coming as GPs have received new guidelines on gluten-free prescriptions.
Patients can still receive gluten-free bread and preparations without prescription from the NHS, but they are no longer eligible for other foods such as pizzas, cakes and cookies, NHS England said.
Officials added that the NHS had started funding gluten-free food products in the late 1960s, when availability was limited, but that a wide variety of foods are now available in supermarkets.
Simon Stevens, Managing Director of NHS England, said: "The NHS is one of the most efficient health services in the world, but as part of the NHS long-term plan, we are committed to making the NHS grow. Taxpayers' money and to realize savings back in front-line care.
"It is essential that the NHS pays nothing for what has proven to be ineffective or for which there are safer or cheaper alternatives."
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