MSE News: Prescription and dental charges to rise in April

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Former_MSE_Helen
Former_MSE_Helen Posts: 2,382 Forumite
in Health & beauty MoneySaving
NHS prescription and dental charges will increase in England from 1 April, the Department of Health has today announced...
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'Prescription and dental charges to rise in April

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  • Butterfly_Brain
    Butterfly_Brain Posts: 8,862 Forumite
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    What gauls me is that only those living in England pay the charges whilst Scotland, Wales and NI get free prescriptions.
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
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  • clauski
    clauski Posts: 41 Forumite
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    Butterfly_Brain wrote: »
    What gauls me is that only those living in England pay the charges whilst Scotland, Wales and NI get free prescriptions.



    Totally agree. Why should English residents have to fund a greater share of the NHS than others? And the fact 90% of prescriptions are already supposedly free does nothing but rub in the fact that the ones I pay for aren't!
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  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,331 Forumite
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    Whatever happened to "free at the point of use"?
    If it sticks, force it.
    If it breaks, well it wasn't working right anyway.
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,655 Forumite
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    Why is a rise in prescription fee rise considered as news anyway? Has it ever not occurred since 1979?
  • System
    System Posts: 178,093 Community Admin
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    Ectophile wrote: »
    Whatever happened to "free at the point of use"?
    The country are not prepared to accept the level of taxation or the cuts in other services to achieve this ideal.

    It was realised within 5 years of the NHS beginning that 'free at the point of use' was unsustainable
  • jennie65
    jennie65 Posts: 113 Forumite
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    Well if all UK countries were made to pay then maybe the English could pay slightly less. My son put off going to get his infected toe seen to because he never had enough money to pay the prescription charge. I ended up paying it even though I have a prepayment certificate to cover mine. Over £8 is a lot of money to some people so he was trying to make do without going.
    We none of us go the the dentist as that's way out of our budgets. And no in case your wondering - we don't drink or smoke either.
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  • sammyjammy
    sammyjammy Posts: 7,388 Forumite
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    jennie65 wrote: »
    Well if all UK countries were made to pay then maybe the English could pay slightly less.

    I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. The other countries get a sum of money (probably per capita) and they choose to use some of that money to fund free prescriptions, England choose to spend that money on something else.

    Personally I think very few people should get free prescriptions, certainly not all pensioners. So many people get prescriptions willy nilly just because they don't have to cover the cost themselves, its such a waste.
    "You've been reading SOS when it's just your clock reading 5:05 "
  • Pincher
    Pincher Posts: 6,552 Forumite
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    There was a chain called Dentals Arts.
    Claims to do NHS work, but it's non-stop upselling
    to private. The NHS filling fell out after a couple of days.
    Generally incompetent anyway, so I didn't want them to touch my teeth again.


    Been going to a 100% private dentist for several years. Reassuringly expensive. I shudder at what people get on NHS.
  • 22cuddles
    22cuddles Posts: 115 Forumite
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    pmduk wrote: »
    Why is a rise in prescription fee rise considered as news anyway? Has it ever not occurred since 1979?

    Yes, in the last General Election year there was no change from the previous until the following April.
  • Abbafan1972
    Abbafan1972 Posts: 6,892 Forumite
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    It's expensive yes, but at least you get something to show for it at the end.

    The dentist:- £18.50 charge for the dentist looking in your mouth and saying "that's fine we'll see in you in 6 months".
    Striving to clear the mortgage before it finishes in Dec 2028 - amount currently owed - £43,915.98
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