Call for free NHS prescriptions

[chemical-licker]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7265409.stm

Free prescriptions should be introduced in England as thousands of people are not collecting medicines because of cost, Citizens Advice has said. It follows a poll of 880 people which found 2% were put off by the price - a total of 800,000 if the proportion were repeated across the whole of England.

Wales has already introduced free prescriptions while Scotland has promised to follow suit.

But ministers in England are still refusing to drop the £6.85 charge.

Prescription charges can seriously damage your health

David Harker, of Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice said the poll, carried out for it by Mori, showed there was an urgent need for the government to review prescription charging.

The organisation's chief executive David Harker said: "It is unacceptable that people are still failing to collect prescriptions because they can't afford it.

"Evidence from our bureaux shows that prescription charges can seriously damage your health and the impact is felt most severely by people on low incomes and with long-term health problems.

"We are urging the government to review the issue of prescription charging as a matter of urgency to address the issue of prescription poverty in England.

"The progress in Wales and Scotland shows there is a strong case for abolishing prescription charges in England altogether."

Free

But the government said free prescriptions would not be introduced in England.

Ministers are planning to launch a consultation in the near future, but this will only be looking at "cost-neutral" ways of tweaking the system.

At the moment children and those on low incomes are exempt from payment. People needing regular prescriptions are also entitled to apply for a pre-payment scheme which means they can get unlimited prescriptions for under £2 a week.

The government said the system meant that just one in 10 prescription items were charged at the full price.

A Department of Health spokeswoman added: "Prescription charges provide a valuable contribution to the NHS in England, estimated to be £430m for 2006-7.

"Abolishing them would significantly reduce the money available to deliver other health priorities."

why is scotland allowed to have free prescriptions and yet england we still have to pay? :angry2: i know lets send asylum seekers to scotland, ITS FREE ASYLUM SEEKERS CRAP, ITS FREE FOR THEM TOO DOWN HERE.

[tigger]

i can understand about prescribed medicines being expensive.. in australia if you have less than a certain amount of money in your accounts, or earn below a certain bracket, then you quality for a health care card.. all medicines are around 2.50 AUD. which would be great if i could get that.. it gets expensive if you have a few medical problems and are going to be on prescribed meds for life its $10 for an asthma puffer $35 for an acuhaler and around $50 for ventolin nebules that go into a nebulizer. if i go with out the acuhaler a couple of days (i run out) i can go through one puffer in a day or so. there are 200 doses in the puffer.

even though drugs are subsidised by the govt, they are still pricey and many ppl go with out cos they just cannot afford them

[Moon Monkey]

Maybe that 2% are just downright tight ? I mean if they are completely skint there are ways and means, the jobless / kids/ students /OAP's don't pay anyway, people on the breadline get family credits etc. No excuses, what is it about 7 quid ? Do a paper round for 2 mornings, wash dishes for an hour, anything. Come on.

Now dentists are a different story.