Free Precriptions In England Sought By Socialist Health Association

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 01 Feb 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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Wales has already abolished charges, Scotland and Northern Ireland are moving towards free prescriptions. The English NHS is now committed to free prescriptions for cancer patients from 1st April, and there is a current Prescription Charges Review for those with Long Term Conditions. www.info.doh.gov.uk/questionnaire/prescriprew.nsf.

It asks which factors should govern whether a person with a long term condition should be entitled to receive free prescriptions? Economic considerations are not on the list offered. At present anyone whose weekly income is more than £3.65 above the Income Support poverty line has to pay the full cost. For single people under 25 - £51.60; 25 or over - £64.15. That means that many people on Incapacity Benefit long-term basic rate - £84.50 - have to pay in full.

The present system of charges has repeatedly been described as a dog's dinner lacking any basis in fairness or logic - most recently by the House of Commons Health Committee.

Only about 20% of prescriptions are paid for. But 80% of people aged between 18 and 60 have to pay for their prescriptions. It has been estimated that around three-quarters of a million people in England and Wales fail to take medication because of the cost.

Experience from CABx shows that many people on Incapacity Benefit have wrongly assumed that they were entitled to free prescriptions. This can result in patients facing accusations of fraud, penalty charges and threatened prosecution. It seems probable that the vast majority are cases of error rather than deliberate fraud, and the underlying problem is one of poverty. There is no means of appeal.

The penalty charge is five times the charge that the client should have paid, up to a maximum of £100. The client will also be asked to pay the original charge itself. If the client does not prove her/his entitlement to help with health costs, and s/he does not pay the amount stated in the penalty charge notice, the NHS may take court action to recover the debt. The penalty charge is increased by 50 per cent of the penalty charge if s/he does not pay within 28 days of the date the penalty charge notice is sent.

www.sochealth.co.uk/news/prescriptions.htm

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