7. What plans does the Minister have to support people with coeliac disease in helping them maintain healthy lifestyles? OAQ(5)0075(HWS)

Health boards in Wales follow national guidance to support general practitioners and other healthcare professionals in the management of patients with coeliac disease. Staple items, such as fresh bread and pasta, are available on prescription to help patients optimise their nutritional status and maintain a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle.

I thank the Minister for that response. I have been contacted by a constituent who suffers from coeliac disease, who finds it very difficult to find foods that are certain to be 100 per cent gluten free, and is very concerned that the staple food may be withdrawn from the list of free prescriptions. Would you be able to reassure my constituent about that issue?

Yes. There are no plans to change the current situation with regard to staple items such as, as I said, fresh bread and pasta being available on prescription. Community pharmacies are actually really important in terms of providing people with coeliac disease the opportunity to buy a wide range of products, as well as what they receive on prescription. That just reinforces again the importance of community pharmacy in terms of meeting the health needs of people with coeliac disease and a wide range of other conditions.