Prescription costs in England to rise in April

Former_MSE_Michael · 11 March 2014 at 5:20PM

"NHS prescription prices in England will rise from 1 April, while dental costs will also increase, the Government says..."

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Prescription costs in England to rise in April

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VT82 · 11 March 2014 at 6:18PM

"The Government adds that over 90% of prescription items are dispensed free."

Whoop-de-do. In other words, here's an even bigger two fingered salute to the rest of us!

They really should just make it 50p for those who currently get it for free, to try and cut down on people taking medicine just because it's 'free'.

Butterfly_Brain · 11 March 2014 at 6:24PM

What if you need more than 1 item? This is really a take p**s
Thankfully I get my medicine free now because I'm diabetic
(14 items on my repeat

). But my children and DH have to pay full price on low wages and DS is a student.

As for dentistry costs I will only go if I am in agony now I can't afford to go every six months.

What angers me the most is that if we lived in Scotland, Wales or NI we would get it free and we wouldn't have to pay extortionate hospital car park charges :mad:

SmallL · 11 March 2014 at 6:34PM

Im glad prescription pre-payments are frozen for two years at least

photome · 11 March 2014 at 7:18PM

90% free WOW

It annoys me that as an Asthmatic I dont get free scripts like diabetics do.

In fact I think it annoys me more that it is just an unfair system.

Either we all pay or we all get them free simples!!

SmallL · 11 March 2014 at 7:35PM

A fairer system would be to make the prescriptions for people with chronic conditions free (but only those medicines tied to the condition)

Mrs_Ryan · 11 March 2014 at 7:53PM

If I had to pay I wouldn't take my tablets full stop as I couldn't afford to. I'm on conts based ESA and am prescribed four lots of medication but have a cancer patients exemption certificate. I know I could get a pre-payment certificate but that's still about £15 a month- I'm on regular paracetamol so I know I could buy that OTC but my Naproxen, Tramadol and Fluoxetine I would still have to buy which I just couldn't afford. To be honest I would rather do without my prescription certificate if I could get help with other NHS services- I have to pay for my own glasses and contact lenses, and my own wigs- all of which you get help with on income based but you get bog all on conts based

they just seem to think you must have enough money to pay for them! My last glasses cost me £89 and my contacts £56 then £13 a month and my cheap synthetic wigs are £25 a time

mum2one · 11 March 2014 at 7:58PM

photome wrote: »

90% free WOW

It annoys me that as an Asthmatic I dont get free scripts like diabetics do.

In fact I think it annoys me more that it is just an unfair system.

Either we all pay or we all get them free simples!!

I totally agree with you on that one I've been asthmatic since a kid, and inhaleurs are a lifeline, I'm diabetic as well, so that magically gives me all free, but I still think it is an unfair, unjust system. x

Butterfly_Brain · 11 March 2014 at 8:05PM

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

If I had to pay I wouldn't take my tablets full stop as I couldn't afford to. I'm on conts based ESA and am prescribed four lots of medication but have a cancer patients exemption certificate. I know I could get a pre-payment certificate but that's still about £15 a month- I'm on regular paracetamol so I know I could buy that OTC but my Naproxen, Tramadol and Fluoxetine I would still have to buy which I just couldn't afford. To be honest I would rather do without my prescription certificate if I could get help with other NHS services- I have to pay for my own glasses and contact lenses, and my own wigs- all of which you get help with on income based but you get bog all on conts based they just seem to think you must have enough money to pay for them! My last glasses cost me £89 and my contacts £56 then £13 a month and my cheap synthetic wigs are £25 a time

You are lucky, I have complex lenses and my last glasses cost £360 and it looks like I need new ones again this year, depending on what is said when I eventually see a consultant at the hospital

Mobius1 · 11 March 2014 at 11:43PM

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

What angers me the most is that if we lived in Scotland, Wales or NI we would get it free and we wouldn't have to pay extortionate hospital car park charges :mad:

This!

What's the point in them mentioning how tough decisions have been made to financially safeguard the NHS budget when it is the English NHS patient who's paying through the nose for it?

I don't understand the thinking behind it. Why should those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales not only get free prescriptions but also not have to pay for parking at their hospitals? Surely placing that burden solely on the English is a form of discrimination when it is so overt and the difference is so marked? It's not like we're talking about a couple of quid or a one-off here, we're talking a constant cash flow from a lot of English people going to subsidise other nations. It isn't fair. Either we should all pay the same for prescriptions unless exempt, or none of us pay.

What extra tax do they pay? What benefit do we English get that they don't which could account for the disparity?

Torry_Quine · 11 March 2014 at 11:50PM

I live in Scotland and get free prescriptions which is good and I appreciate it as the cost in England is extortionate. However it's ridiculous to say that this is a subsidy as it's up to the individual countries how the money is spent and England has decided that free prescriptions are not the priority.

Prescription costs in England to rise in April

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