REPORTS of care leavers delaying treatment because they cannot afford NHS prescriptions have prompted Oldham council chiefs to consider covering the costs.

Councillors heard young adults have gone without anti-depressants or chest infection medication because of financial struggles.

The local authority has agreed to lobby government for further support for care leavers by ensuring they get free prescriptions until the age of 25, following a recent town hall debate.

Cllr Amanda Chadderton, cabinet member for children’s services, said she would investigate the costs to see if the council could deliver the exemption from its own budget.

Sam Coupe and Paige Tildsley, who both sit on the the borough’s children in care council and are themselves care leavers, made the case to end the "health inequality" at a meeting of the full council.

Paige asked the chamber if as "corporate parents" councillors would give struggling young people the same support they would give their own family members.

“One of our care leavers recently shared with us that on falling ill and being diagnosed with a chest infection the doctor gave her a prescription of seven items, including steroids, an inhaler and antibiotics,” she said.

“At the chemist the total cost was over £60. This was unaffordable and the young person had to choose which of the items they would get, leaving some of the prescribed medication unclaimed.”

Sam added that in Oldham there are 86 care leavers who currently have to pay for prescriptions, which with a cost £8.80 each can place added financial pressure on care leavers who are working or studying.

“Many of these are on low income employment via apprenticeships or are in higher education. They do not earn a lot of money,” he said.

“With that money from their employment they are having to sustain a totally independent way of living, paying the rent, the bills, transport cost, and food, for example.

“So many are managing on a very tight budget, where having to make a decision about paying for the medication you need or paying for food or fuel is a real choice.

“One young person who was on an apprenticeship and lives independently, recently had to delay collecting a prescription for antidepressants because they could not afford the charges until their next pay day.

“Being ill isn’t something anyone can plan on, and the unforeseen cost of prescriptions is a concern and financial worry that we would like to see eradicated now and for care leavers in the future.”

The council has already implemented a 2017 pledge which means that care leavers aged up to 20-years-old do not have to pay council tax.

The move was designed to help young people who had difficult starts in life better adapt to the world outside of the care system.

Currently youngsters who leave care and are receiving benefits can get free prescriptions as part of the national exemption criteria.

Cabinet member for health and well-being, Cllr Zahid Chauhan, told members that as a clinician he had first-hand experience of people being unable to afford the prescription charges.

“I’ve seen people where they can’t collect medication, I’ve seen people not having food and not having medication,” he said.

“We’re trying to get nutritional supplements to them to keep their weight.”

He added he was keen to find local resolutions to some of the issues raised by the children in care council, such as introducing a ‘pay it later’ system for prescriptions.

Cllr Chadderton said: “It should embarrass and shame us as a town and as a country that there are people in Oldham today who can’t afford their prescriptions and they have to pick and choose which prescription they have.

“This isn’t a third world country, this is 2018, in Great Britain and that’s absolutely immoral.

“In Oldham all we are talking about is 86 young people. So across the country it’s hardly going to be masses of young people and the cost of it will be relatively low.

“But I think as a council we should make a commitment to see if we can do this on our own.

“I’ll make a commitment to cost this up and see what that is because for 86 young people I can’t see that being a lot.”

She added they would look at whether Greater Manchester could become a pilot area for prescription exemptions.

Conservative representative for Saddleworth North, Pam Byrne, said she supported the motion and had "only admiration" for the care council.

Chief executive Carolyn Wilkins will now write to health secretary Matt Hancock after the proposal was unanimously backed by all parties.