THE cost-of-living crisis is forcing people to delay seeking healthcare due to additional expenses such as travel, a patient watchdog warned today.

Many are so worried about cash that they also forgoing dental care or not collecting prescriptions, according to a poll conducted by Healthwatch England.

The organisation stressed it is “worried” about the consequences of people avoiding vital care and demanded government action.

National director Louise Ansari said the impact of falling take-home pay and double-digit inflation is “beginning to hit home.

“The steps people are taking to cope with the cost of living can have serious implications on their physical and mental health — this is likely to place a further burden on the already stretched NHS.

“The cost of living should never be a barrier to healthcare. The increase in the number of people avoiding vital care needs urgent joint action from the government and health and care services.”

Ms Ansari urged NHS England to offer prescriptions based on ability to pay, raise awareness of travel reimbursement schemes and patient transport services and ensure hospital and GP phone numbers are included in free-phone services.

The watchdog’s poll of 2,000 adults across England shows that the numbers avoiding an NHS appointment due to travel costs nearly doubled from 6 per cent in October to 11 per cent last month.

About a sixth said they did not visit the dentist due to costs in December — up from just 3 per cent two months previously — while the proportion which put off collecting one or more prescriptions rose from 6 to 10 per cent over the same period.

Lynda Hesketh, a rheumatoid arthritis patient from Cheshire, told Healthwatch England that she is struggling to afford travel to hospital appointments, affecting her health and wellbeing.

“Heating costs are a big concern as my joints stiffen up in the cold,” she said.

“I often switch the heating on or have a bath to ease the pain and stiffness in my joints, so this increases my energy bills.

“The energy crisis is really bad — I don’t remember it being as bad as this.”

A government spokesman claimed ministers “know it is a difficult time for families across the country” but said support is available, including the energy price guarantee, a scheme to cap bus tickets at £2 and a freeze in prescription charges.