HEALTH chiefs in Bury have decided to stop prescribing gluten-free food to patients suffering from coeliac disease.

It means adult sufferers, who cannot eat gluten, will have to pay up to six times the price of normal products for gluten-free food so they will not be in pain when they eat everyday items like bread.

NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has taken the decision, which will take effect from January 1, 2017, despite the results of the consultation survey showing 76 per cent of respondents disagreed with the proposal to stop prescribing gluten-free food.

The implementation of the policy will be reviewed after 12 months.

Susan Cullen, a coeliac disease sufferer from Tottington, said she feels she is being penalised for having the illness.

“It makes me very angry, to be honest,” said the 60-year-old.

“It’s not like we are asking for cakes and biscuits, bread is a staple food for example but we will now have to pay up to £3 for a loaf.”

She said all coeliac sufferers were vulnerable but that she feared most for older people with the illness.

“It is very difficult to spend that kind of money if your only income is the state pension.

“I fear that rather than paying that kind of money they will just buy the ordinary stuff which can be very dangerous and cause people a huge amount of pain and distress.”

Ms Cullen added that before she was diagnosed with coeliac disease she would eat gluten products and face excruciating pain.

“It was like nothing I’d ever experienced and I don’t ever want to experience it again,” she said.

Norma McGough, director of policy, research and campaigns at Coeliac UK, said the decision was a “big blow” for coeliac sufferers in Bury.

“One of the amazing things about coeliac disease is the natural treatment for it is eating the right food.

“Unfortunately this decision will make it a lot more difficult for sufferers to do that.”

Ms McGough said there was an issue nationwide with availability and affordability of gluten-free products, and that the CCG ruling was counterproductive.

She said any estimated savings would be cancelled by the cost of caring for vulnerable coeliac people who would likely develop other illnesses as a result of not being able to follow a gluten-free diet.

Dr Kiran Patel, chair of Bury CCG, said the CCG considered all of the feedback, options, risks and benefits of the proposal to stop prescribing gluten free food before making the decision.