Prescription charges 12 September 2022 at 7:02PM in Campaigns corner 5 replies 250 views

MuneyBear

I've just been reading an article of Martin's about prescription charges and it has raised a question again in my mind.
This is not about me, I'm of an age where I don't pay for prescriptions but I just cannot understand how English residents accept paying for prescriptions when no other part of the United Kingdom pays for them.
I ask, how can that be right or fair and why is there never any discussion about this>

wwally

MuneyBear said:

I've just been reading an article of Martin's about prescription charges and it has raised a question again in my mind.
This is not about me, I'm of an age where I don't pay for prescriptions but I just cannot understand how English residents accept paying for prescriptions when no other part of the United Kingdom pays for them.
I ask, how can that be right or fair and why is there never any discussion about this>

There's a lot of things that the devolved governments do that the English people are unaware of. I live in Wales, but each nation has their own benefits. Wales, for example, is offering extra payments for those on Carers Allowance for COVID and now CoL. Bus Pass at age 60. We were years ahead on charges for plastic bags.

It seems obvious that if you are ill the NHS should provide you with necessary medicines (apart from basic OTC remedies).

MalMonroe

Hi, I do totally agree with what you say. I live in England, also now of an age where I don't have to pay for prescriptions but I am on long term medication which would cost me a fortune if I had to pay. I know that people with diabetes (not one of them, thankfully) don't have to pay for meds, whatever their age but why can't they be free for everyone. There are also annual prescription cards people can buy which bring the cost of medication down to a more reasonable level but even so, I do think they should be free for all, in the whole of the UK. Why is it such an unfair system? (Sorry, I'm asking you more questions when we have the same opinion!)

There's this coalition - https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/policy-campaigns/campaigns/prescription-charges-coalition

And I just googled 'campaign to abolish prescription charges' to see if there were any campaigns in England. There seem to be some very interesting links so you could also check those out if you are interested. It seems that people do want to try to get rid of the charges here.

There's also a petition started by '38 degrees' but it's very disappointing as there are only a few signatures.

It seems like there are quite a few groups with the same goal in mind but I also spotted something about the Labour party pledging to get rid of prescription charges if they were elected (obviously from a few years ago) but that is something to ponder on.

We in England could also contact our MPs, I guess, to push for charges to be abolished. Sadly, there's a lot of apathy in our country! 

p00hsticks

I wonder how many actually have to pay - I suspect not that many, by the time you rule out the under 18's the over 60's, those on means testesd benefits, those with conditions that require life long medicine etc. Those that don't fall into any of those categories probably mostly rarely need prescriptions anyhow, and so it's simply not a major priority to get worked up about.

I'd certainly put myself in that category - I last needed a prescription about ten years ago, and actually pointed out to the pharmacist that I should be paying for it - they were so used to people being exempt it didn't occur to them that I might not be.

I so rarely need a prescription that having to pay when I do is just not a big deal - I probably spend far more on over the counter medicines like paracetemol, Lemsips etc (although I don't spent that much on those either). And nowadays from the sound if it my chances of actually getting to see a GP if I fell ill are so remote that the chances of me getting given a prescription to get filled are microscopically small anyhow!

The current Englsih system does strike me as weird - for example, I've never understood why over 60's are exempt, rather than it being linked to the State Pension age of 66.  And my OH is one of those who has a condition (underactive thyroid) that requires life-long medication, which means that not only does he (quite rightly) get that prescription free, he also is also then automatically exempt from paying any prescription changes for anything else ever, even if not at all connected with that illness.

I've just had a google, and although this link is about ten years old, it is from a reputable source, and suggests that while around 40% of the English population aren't exempt from prescription charges, around 90% of prescriptions are free - which supports my thought that those getting most prescriptions (the elderly, the chronically ill etc) are also those who don't have to pay. 

https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/prescription-charge-overhaul-would-raise-1bn-a-year-for-nhs-says-think-tank

molerat

MalMonroe said:

Hi, I do totally agree with what you say. I live in England, also now of an age where I don't have to pay for prescriptions but I am on long term medication which would cost me a fortune if I had to pay.

£108.10 for a year of prescriptions payable at £10.81 per month for 10 months, hardly "a fortune".

powerful_Rogue

I pay the £108.10 for the prepayment. Some years it pays off, others it doesn't. I treat it like any other kind of 'insurance'.