HEALTH chiefs spend £79,000 a year on prescribing bread and other foods to people with gluten intolerance, a new NHS report has revealed.

After considering the report, medical bosses are to limit the amount of food people receive on the NHS to make an annual saving of £34,000.

But leaders of Coeliac UK have criticised the move and say they will challenge further plans to scrap prescribed gluten-free products for Bury adults altogether from next April.

"People are already struggling to make ends meet and this will mean they have to pay hundreds of pounds more on food each year," said the charity's chief executive Sarah Sleet.

She added: "Some people may break with their recommended diet and suffer health problems and place greater demand on NHS resources."

People with conditions such as coeliac disease can get foods such as bread, pasta and flour on prescription though there is no available data on how many do so.

Greater Manchester health guidelines recommends prescribing 14 'units' of food per person each month, which equates to four loaves of bread, a bag of flour and a packet of pasta.

Now, Bury Clinical Commission Group (CCG) says it will impose an eight-unit limit from September "subject to appropriate engagement".

The CCG's chief officer Stuart North said: "I think many people will be shocked that people can get bread prescribed on the NHS, though there is, of course, a need for it.

"The system was introduced when there was a big price differential between gluten-free foods and gluten equivalents and that has now been reduced."

However, Ms Sleet claimed gluten-free food costs three or four times more than gluten equivalents.

At Tesco, the Radcliffe Times learned the cheapest gluten-free bread costs £2.40 compared with 40p for a gluten equivalent.

Ms Fleet added: "We advocate a new cost-effective system of arranging gluten-free prescriptions, which has been widely adopted throughout Scotland, and would encourage Bury CCG to work with us."

The change is among a range of measures designed to cut costs and encourage people to ‘self care’.

Treatments for minor ailments and medicines without clear evidence of benefit will cease to become available on prescription from September.

There will be no longer prescriptions for diarrhoea, cold sores, health supplements, sore throat treatments, sun cream and emollients.

Bury CCG chairman, Dr Kiran Patel, said: "Of course, there will always be exceptions to the rule and our plans do take account of this.

"By making these changes, we hope to ensure every penny is spent to best effect; to free up GP time for patients, while encouraging patients with minor illnesses and injuries to self care."