Cost of living: People are increasingly avoiding NHS appointments and prescriptions

With spiralling costs of living, we have warned people are making changes to how they use health and social care services, which can have an adverse impact on their health and wellbeing.

The impact the cost of living crisis is having on many people’s ability to heat their homes and eat well has been widely reported. However, our new data suggests people are increasingly avoiding booking/attending NHS appointments or taking up prescriptions and over-the-counter medications because of the costs. 

About our poll 

We conducted a tracker poll with 2000 adults in England between October and December to assess the impact of the cost of living on their health and wellbeing and whether it has affected how they use health and social care services.

We found that more people avoided getting prescription medicines, and booking NHS appointments, including dental treatment, due to the fear of extra costs in December than in October.

People are avoiding vital care due to the fear of extra costs

The number of people who avoided an NHS appointment due to the cost of travel doubled to almost one in 10, 11%, in December, up from 6% in October. 

The poll also found that in December: 

• Over one in ten (11%) have avoided booking an NHS appointment because they couldn’t afford the associated costs, such as accessing the Internet or the cost of a phone call; up from 7% in October;
• 15% of respondents avoided going to a dentist because of the cost of checks ups or treatment, an up from 12% in October;
• And one in ten (10%) people have also avoided taking up one or more NHS prescriptions because of the cost, up from 6% in October;
• One in ten (10%) avoided buying over the counter medication they normally rely on, up from 7% in October.

Cost of living affects people's health

More than a third of the respondents, 39%, said that the changes they have made to keep up with the rising cost of living – include the actions mention above as well as not turning on the heating and cutting back on food - have negatively affected their mental health, while 35% said their physical health had got worse in the last two months.

Women are disproportionally affected by costs of living 

The findings also suggest women are disproportionally affected by spiralling costs compared to men and more have taken action to cut back on:

• Heating, which 42% of women have not turned on when they usually would, compared to 33% of men;
• Food, which 27% of women say they have bought less of, because of the increased cost, compared to 20% of men; and
• Energy costs in general, with 33% of women saying they have turned off or avoided using essential appliances to save energy costs, compared to 25% of men.

I'm worried about rising prices - Lynda's story

Lynda, 60, from Cheshire is very worried about how rising prices are affecting her health and wellbeing. Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis means she has to keep her home warm, otherwise her pain and mobility is even more restricted, including flare ups of her long-term health condition. Lynda said:  “Heating costs are a big concern as my joints stiffen up in the cold. I often switch the heating on or have a bath to ease the pain and stiffness in my joints, so this increases my energy bills. The energy crisis is really bad. I don’t remember it ever being as bad as this.” 

It’s not just Lynda’s physical health that’s affected by rising costs. The uncertainty over future energy bill increases is impacting her mental health too. She’s finding it harder to pay for her travel to attend the frequent hospital appointments, and experiences anxiety about what the future holds.

On top of energy prices, her social care providers have asked whether she would be willing to consider making financial contributions towards her care. This is an added expense she can’t afford. Lynda said: “All of this is very stressful and extremely worrying so much so it regularly impacts my sleep. I don’t feel up to all these challenges and they are contributing to the worsening of my condition.”   

Louise Ansari, our National Director, said: 

“It is clear that the impact of the cost of living crisis on people’s health and wellbeing is beginning to hit home. 

“We are very worried that people are increasingly avoiding getting prescription medicines, booking NHS appointments and travelling to their appointments because of the extra costs. The steps people are taking to cope with the cost of living can have serious implications on their physical and mental health. This is likely to place a further burden on the already stretched NHS.

“The cost of living should never be a barrier to healthcare. The increase in the number of people avoiding vital care needs urgent joint action from the government and health and care services.

“Steps such as offering over the counter medication on prescription based on ability to pay, raising awareness of travel reimbursement schemes and patient transport services, and ensuring people who need them take up social tariffs for phone and broadband could all make a huge difference for people who are struggling financially.”

Sarah Sweeney, Interim Chief Executive of National Voices:

“People living with ill health and disability are much more likely than others to be pulled into poverty because of the cost of living crisis. Healthwatch England’s research echoes with insights we hear from our members – that many people are being forced to make impossible decisions between heating, eating, medications and keeping medical devices running. We support Healthwatch England’s recommendations and urge the government and health and care services to ensure people with ill health can stay afloat during these challenging times.”

These online surveys of adults in England (nationally representative) were commissioned by Healthwatch England and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between 19 to 25 October 2022 and between 5 and 9 December for Wave 1 and Wave 2, respectively. All participants are opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team, who are members of the MRS and have corporate membership to ESOMAR.