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| Prescription charges abolished in Scotland | Prescription charges abolished in Scotland |
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| Scotland has joined Northern Ireland and Wales in abolishing prescription fees - leaving England as the only part of the UK to charge for them. | Scotland has joined Northern Ireland and Wales in abolishing prescription fees - leaving England as the only part of the UK to charge for them. |
| No one in Scotland will have to pay for prescribed medicines following the move brought in by the SNP government. | No one in Scotland will have to pay for prescribed medicines following the move brought in by the SNP government. |
| It comes on the same day charges per item rise in England by 20p to £7.40. | It comes on the same day charges per item rise in England by 20p to £7.40. |
| But despite the charge, 90% of items dispensed are given out free as children, those on low incomes and cancer patients are exempt. | But despite the charge, 90% of items dispensed are given out free as children, those on low incomes and cancer patients are exempt. |
| Prescription charges have been falling in Scotland for the last three years and stood at £3 before the 1 April change, which will mean the Scottish government losing out on £57m a year. | Prescription charges have been falling in Scotland for the last three years and stood at £3 before the 1 April change, which will mean the Scottish government losing out on £57m a year. |
| Under devolution, Wales was the first part of the UK to make prescriptions free - four years ago - and Northern Ireland followed in 2010. | Under devolution, Wales was the first part of the UK to make prescriptions free - four years ago - and Northern Ireland followed in 2010. |
| Scotland's Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "An SNP government, working for Scotland, has ended prescription charges which were a tax on ill-health saving those with long term conditions around £180." | Scotland's Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "An SNP government, working for Scotland, has ended prescription charges which were a tax on ill-health saving those with long term conditions around £180." |
| Prescriptions were free for all when the NHS was set up in 1948, but charges were introduced in the early 1950s to plug gaps in funding. | Prescriptions were free for all when the NHS was set up in 1948, but charges were introduced in the early 1950s to plug gaps in funding. |
| The Department of Health defended its policy of charging in England. | The Department of Health defended its policy of charging in England. |
| It said the fees raised more than £450m a year - equivalent to the salary costs of 18,000 nurses or 3,500 hospital consultants. | It said the fees raised more than £450m a year - equivalent to the salary costs of 18,000 nurses or 3,500 hospital consultants. |
| Pre-payment deal | Pre-payment deal |
| A spokeswoman said: "This income helps the NHS to maintain vital services for patients." | A spokeswoman said: "This income helps the NHS to maintain vital services for patients." |
| And she added alongside the exemptions those needing regular prescriptions, such as patients with long-term conditions, were eligible for discounted rates. | And she added alongside the exemptions those needing regular prescriptions, such as patients with long-term conditions, were eligible for discounted rates. |
| The spokeswoman said: "The price of the 12-month prescription pre-payment certificate will be frozen for the second year running. This allows people to get all the prescriptions they need for an average cost of £2 per week." | The spokeswoman said: "The price of the 12-month prescription pre-payment certificate will be frozen for the second year running. This allows people to get all the prescriptions they need for an average cost of £2 per week." |
| The elderly, children and those with being treated for conditions such as cancer are the most likely to need prescriptions. | The elderly, children and those with being treated for conditions such as cancer are the most likely to need prescriptions. |
| And despite the furore over the differences across the UK - all these groups get their medicines without paying wherever they live. | And despite the furore over the differences across the UK - all these groups get their medicines without paying wherever they live. |
| Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may all have a policy of free prescriptions, but in England there are an extensive list of exemptions and discounts. | Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may all have a policy of free prescriptions, but in England there are an extensive list of exemptions and discounts. |
| Nine in 10 prescription items in England are handed out free as those exempt include the under 16s, over 60s, pregnant women and those on low incomes. | Nine in 10 prescription items in England are handed out free as those exempt include the under 16s, over 60s, pregnant women and those on low incomes. |
| Of the rest, many are discounted through a pre-payment scheme which means that people needing regular prescriptions, such as those with long-term conditions like arthritis, only have to pay just over £2 a week. | Of the rest, many are discounted through a pre-payment scheme which means that people needing regular prescriptions, such as those with long-term conditions like arthritis, only have to pay just over £2 a week. |
| It effectively means only the healthy and wealthy pay the full £7.40 charge. | It effectively means only the healthy and wealthy pay the full £7.40 charge. |
| Responding to the fact England stands alone in charging for prescriptions, Roger Goss, of Patient Concern, said: "Patients in England will be asking if this is fair. They are being discriminated against and losing out. It should be the same across the NHS." | Responding to the fact England stands alone in charging for prescriptions, Roger Goss, of Patient Concern, said: "Patients in England will be asking if this is fair. They are being discriminated against and losing out. It should be the same across the NHS." |
| The move to end the fees north of the border comes in the second week of campaigning for the Scottish Parliament election on 5 May. | The move to end the fees north of the border comes in the second week of campaigning for the Scottish Parliament election on 5 May. |
| The Scottish Labour Party said it welcomed the move. | The Scottish Labour Party said it welcomed the move. |
| Its health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: "This is something that we supported in the Scottish Parliament and would not come to fruition without that support." | Its health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: "This is something that we supported in the Scottish Parliament and would not come to fruition without that support." |
| Derek Brownlee, finance spokesman for the Scottish Tories said that giving free prescriptions to those people who could "well afford to pay for them" was "politically irresponsible and a drain on public resources at this time of huge financial challenges in the NHS". | Derek Brownlee, finance spokesman for the Scottish Tories said that giving free prescriptions to those people who could "well afford to pay for them" was "politically irresponsible and a drain on public resources at this time of huge financial challenges in the NHS". |
| He added "The young, the elderly and those on benefits are all already exempt. Using millions of Scotland's health budget to reduce the cost of prescriptions to zero by next year means it cannot be spent elsewhere." | He added "The young, the elderly and those on benefits are all already exempt. Using millions of Scotland's health budget to reduce the cost of prescriptions to zero by next year means it cannot be spent elsewhere." |
| The Scottish Liberal Democrats said it would take forward "what we've inherited on free prescriptions" but it added that the SNP could not have it both ways. | The Scottish Liberal Democrats said it would take forward "what we've inherited on free prescriptions" but it added that the SNP could not have it both ways. |
| A spokesperson said: "They cannot scrap prescription charges and also continue paying out £28 million of bonuses to the highest paid employees in the NHS." | A spokesperson said: "They cannot scrap prescription charges and also continue paying out £28 million of bonuses to the highest paid employees in the NHS." |
| The Scottish Greens said it believed there should be equal access to the NHS and that meant free access to everyone at the point of use, including free prescriptions. | The Scottish Greens said it believed there should be equal access to the NHS and that meant free access to everyone at the point of use, including free prescriptions. |
| The party's co-convener Patrick Harvie added: "We fully support the abolition of prescription charges. This kind of move will become harder to sustain, though, if none of the other parties are prepared to support our call to bring in fairer taxes and protect public services." | The party's co-convener Patrick Harvie added: "We fully support the abolition of prescription charges. This kind of move will become harder to sustain, though, if none of the other parties are prepared to support our call to bring in fairer taxes and protect public services." |
Comments | Comments |
| This entry is now closed for comments | This entry is now closed for comments |
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| I am a transplant patient and therefore have to take a large amount of prescription medicines for the rest of my life. I do not get help with my prescription charges and I think it is misleading to say that people with chronic conditions do not pay prescription charges, I think the whole system needs to be sorted as at the moment it is very unfair. | I am a transplant patient and therefore have to take a large amount of prescription medicines for the rest of my life. I do not get help with my prescription charges and I think it is misleading to say that people with chronic conditions do not pay prescription charges, I think the whole system needs to be sorted as at the moment it is very unfair. |
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| I like many others have worked all my life and paid my taxes. As far as I am concerned prescriptions should be free as they have already been paid for via NI. If England wants free prescriptions then fight for them don't whine about what the devolved Goverments are doing for their citizens.I am totally fed up reading comments which suggest that the devolved nations are paid for by England!! | I like many others have worked all my life and paid my taxes. As far as I am concerned prescriptions should be free as they have already been paid for via NI. If England wants free prescriptions then fight for them don't whine about what the devolved Goverments are doing for their citizens.I am totally fed up reading comments which suggest that the devolved nations are paid for by England!! |
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| I live in Scotland. I work on a drilling rig in the North Sea, my salary is similar to that of the PM. This is not a boast but an example of how mad this scheme is. Why should my prescription be free? Already Old, young, pregnant, unemployed and the generally disadvantaged get free prescriptions so why does anyone else need them?This is just a stupid stunt. | I live in Scotland. I work on a drilling rig in the North Sea, my salary is similar to that of the PM. This is not a boast but an example of how mad this scheme is. Why should my prescription be free? Already Old, young, pregnant, unemployed and the generally disadvantaged get free prescriptions so why does anyone else need them?This is just a stupid stunt. |
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| I am lucky to be a student as I get free prescriptions, however when I finish my education I will have to pay for a prepayment certificate, which costs £130 for a year if I remember correctly, as I would not be able to pay for at least 2 prescriptions a month otherwise, I don't even know if I'll be able to pay this to begin with. Without the medication I would be malnourished and anemic due to UC | I am lucky to be a student as I get free prescriptions, however when I finish my education I will have to pay for a prepayment certificate, which costs £130 for a year if I remember correctly, as I would not be able to pay for at least 2 prescriptions a month otherwise, I don't even know if I'll be able to pay this to begin with. Without the medication I would be malnourished and anemic due to UC |
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| Comments 5 of 6 | Comments 5 of 6 |
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