Martin Lewis has said more than one million people in England are paying more than they need to for NHS prescriptions. 

MoneySavingExpert said people were missing out on savings of around £40 due to not having a prescription "season ticket".

People with more than one prescription per month can buy an NHS prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) to cap their costs. 

The PPC covers the cost of all pharmacy-dispensed medication for one year, costing £106.10, while a single prescription costs £9.35.

A three-month season ticket costs £30.25, which could save someone cash if they buy four or more prescriptions during that time.

According to figures from the NHS Business Services Authority obtained by a Freedom of Information request, patients who pay for each prescription are paying around £40 more than they should. 

Mr Lewis said: “England is the only one of the four UK nations that charges for prescriptions, and so it’s frustrating to hear that many people are still paying more than they need to.

“We need to spread the word to anyone who regularly gets prescriptions – including some with chronic illnesses – to check out prepayment certificates.

“These season tickets cap what you need to pay, as for a one-off payment, you get unlimited prescriptions for either three months or a year.

“My simple rule of thumb is if you get more than one prescription a month on average – these are the cheapest way. And someone getting, say, two prescriptions a month would save over £100 a year.”

In total, 1,063,648 people paid for at least 12 prescriptions in the 2020/21 financial year, with 16 being purchased on average.