Nearly half of cancer patients in England are being forced to cut back on food or heating in order to pay for their prescriptions drugs. Almost two-thirds miss out on simple leisure activities, like family days out, to cope with their medication costs.

A survey of nearly 500 cancer patients in England found that 44 percent were struggling to cope with drug costs.

Prescription charges were eliminated in Wales in 2007, and will be phased out in Scotland by 2011. Northern Ireland has frozen its charges while it considers whether to abolish them entirely. In England, however, the government has ruled out any move towards free prescriptions.