Prescription costs in England to rise in April

corbyboy

Mobius1 wrote: »

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?

It doesn't work like that. Spending decisions are devolved to each of the four countries. They all have their own budgets and they can decide what to do with it. Scotland and Wales have decided to use some to subsidise car parking and prescriptions, but England doesn't.

So England has more money to spend elsewhere.

chattychappy

It's a nonsense that it's free to see a doctor whether or not you are actually sick. But once a doctor has decided you are sick and need medicine, you then have to pay for it.

Better to introduce a fee for seeing the doctor!

System

What annoys me if like what happened with me last year, it took 4 different medications to agree with me. Each time I had to fork out £7.85 even after just taking 3-4 days of meds as took that time to show that my body wasn't suitable.

If a patient that pays for a prescription that does not agree with them, they should get the next one which treats the same condition for free. If you bought something in a shop which is faulty or not suitable (ie clothing which does not look right) you can get your money back or an exchange. Why can't we do that with prescriptions?

I had paid £23.55 for nothing!!

Also make asthmatics allow free prescriptions!

Starrystarrynight

I'd likely be skint if it wasn't for the pre-payment certificate. Thank goodness the price isn't going up!

pmduk

VT82 wrote: »

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

How many more are written but go unfilled because of the cost?

System

That isn't an issue for me as I only get 5-8 prescriptions per year.

jcb208

Many of the drugs the NHS dispense are a fraction of the cost of a prescription.I just had 2 lots of antibiotics 8 tablets a time cost me £7.85 each, on a private prescription they would of been just over £2.00 similar costs for the inflammatory drugs I take. I just buy them myself now from the web so much cheaper

donnac2558

Mobius1 wrote: »

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?

We do pay for parking at hospitals in Northern Ireland.

KxMx

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

The yearly PPC costs £10.40 a month over 10 months.

And even on CB ESA you can make a claim under the NHS Low Income Scheme (HC1 form), you may be eligible to get full or partial help with health costs.

I am on CB ESA and have an HC3 certificate which gives me partial help.

lillie_put

donnac2558 wrote: »

We do pay for parking at hospitals in Northern Ireland.

So do we in Wales