Would it be bad to donate prescription food to a food bank?

[Stupiddriver1]

Dd is 17yo coeliac and gets free gluten free long life bread. We have boxes of it piled up (she gets about 7 boxes a month) as she’s gone off it. It’s still in date and rather than waste it I thought I’d give it to the food bank which I think is fine.

But then I thought how about carrying on getting the bread while she still gets free prescriptions?

We’re in one county where people get gf bread on prescription but are 3 miles from the county border where there’s no gf food on prescription. I worry about coeliacs who can’t afford gf bread.

I think it’s a good idea to donate what you have.

But I would get less in the future. NHS wastage issue.

No, I don't agree with that. Stop the prescriptions if you don't need them

You would be best cancelling your prescription as that gluten free bread is probably costing the NHS ten times what it costs to buy.

Am not going to get any at all for dd in the future. It tastes of vinegar, have decided to pay extortionate amounts in the supermarket for nicer bread but very aware not everyone can afford it.

Donating the excess you have inadvertently amassed sounds like an excellent idea.

Continuing to receive it on prescription when your DD no longer eats it, is wrong.

Hmm... torn.
I think it's a great idea to give the excess stuff you already have to the food bank to stop it going to waste, but I don't really agree with keeping getting it if you're not actually using it as that will be costing the NHS loads when you don't even need or want it in the first place.

I think donating the surplus you already have is fine, but if you no longer need it then you need to alter or stop the prescription.

Crossposted with AuntieStella - exactly what she said lol

You don’t need bread, yes donate what you have but please stop getting prescriptions for it. This is part of the problem the NHS faces, there are hundreds of naturally gluten free foods out there without expecting the NHS to subsidise bread eating habits.

Excess stuff should be fine.

Continuing to get it, is a really shit idea. Because of how much it costs the nhs

How many loaves are in 7 boxes?

That seems an incredible amount!

When my dad died, my mum contacted the local food bank to see if they could take the little fortified drinks she had and they took them all.

Cancel the prescription and donate what you have.

I'm sure the Food bank could scrimp together cash from monetary donations for something like that if needed - maybe £3 a loaf for them compared to the £10 it costs the NHS?

Be a damn shame if people couldn't afford to eat or obtain healthcare due to lack of funding

But yes, stop the prescription.

Stop the prescription. It’s not your GP surgery’s responsibility to subsidise/supply food banks - why should it come out of their budget?

Stop ordering the prescription. Coeliacs can get their own on script and don’t pay if low income.
Donate what you have if you won’t use it.

Coeliacs can’t get it on prescription in every county. The neighbouring county have stopped prescribing it. Bread in the supermarkets is very expensive.

Why are you still getting it if she doesn’t eat it?

Coeliacs can’t get it on prescription in every county. The neighbouring county have stopped prescribing it. Bread in the supermarkets is very expensive

It still shouldn’t fall to your GP surgery to pay for coeliac food for people who aren’t their patients.

That isn’t fair. GP surgeries are run as private businesses - surely you know that? The more money spent on prescriptions, the less there is to employ nurses, HCAs and GPs.

If you want to make sure the food bank has gluten free food, then buy it from the supermarket yourself and donate it.

You don’t need bread, yes donate what you have but please stop getting prescriptions for it.

^This. Do you know how much the NHS will be paying for the bread?

Stop the prescriptions. It's unethical to keep accepting them when she's not using it. Waste like this costs the NHS millions of pounds. Your intentions are honourable, but as already suggested, you'd be better off maybe buying some and donating it yourself.

Out of pure interest, what kind of life does gluten free bread have?

Sadly I can’t afford to buy it for others as well as myself but you’re right, will donate what we have but not get anymore.

• out of pure interest, what kind of life does gluten free bread have?

If unopened months. Once open about 18 hours.....I’m sure it should be longer but it seems to go mouldy at the drop of a hat once open. Might be a slight exaggeration but I’m always binning mouldy loaves.