The Liberal Democrats are set to highlight their key role in freezing NHS prescription charges in Wales.

From Tuesday the cost of prescriptions in England rises, but the charges will remain frozen in Wales for the third year running.

The increase brings the price of a prescription in England up to £6.30, five per cent higher than across the Welsh border.

Ministers in the devolved Welsh executive - where Labour and the Liberal Democrats share power - have the power to set their own prescription charges.

And ahead of the assembly election's on May 1, the Welsh Lib Dems were keen to highlight their role in pushing for the policy

"The freezing of these charges was one of the policies Welsh Liberal Democrats brought to the partnership government and it was one of the first we delivered," said Kirsty Williams, the party's assembly health spokesman.

She said that in real terms there had now been a series of reductions in Wales, while in England the charges "just keep on going up".