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Edwin Poots considers bringing back prescription charges | Edwin Poots considers bringing back prescription charges |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Northern Ireland's health minister has said he is seriously considering reintroducing prescription charges to help pay for life-saving drugs. | |
Edwin Poots told the NI Assembly he would probably put the issue out to consultation some time in the new year. | |
He said the extra money would help fund clinically approved drugs for cancer and other debilitating diseases. | |
Prescription charges were abolished in April 2010 under the former health minister, Michael McGimpsey. | Prescription charges were abolished in April 2010 under the former health minister, Michael McGimpsey. |
Speaking in the assembly on Monday, Mr Poots said: "These drugs will need to be paid for in future years and that is the reality which we face and in this context I'm considering a range of options how this might be done, including the potential reintroduction of some prescription charges. | Speaking in the assembly on Monday, Mr Poots said: "These drugs will need to be paid for in future years and that is the reality which we face and in this context I'm considering a range of options how this might be done, including the potential reintroduction of some prescription charges. |
"Such a decision would of course be subject to public consultation." | "Such a decision would of course be subject to public consultation." |
In October, Mr Poots told the BBC that the cost of free prescriptions in Northern Ireland was closer to £30m per year than the £13m originally envisaged. | |
He said members of the public could be charged as little as 50p per prescription and the move would still generate millions of pounds. | He said members of the public could be charged as little as 50p per prescription and the move would still generate millions of pounds. |