PRESCRIPTION charges in England are to rise from £7.10 to £7.20. That may only be a small increase, but is it right that we should have to pay any charges at all? It’s not what Aneurin Bevan intended when he set up the NHS – and he subsequently resigned from the Government when prescription charges where introduced.
All prescriptions are now free in Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland will abolish prescription charges soon. From April 1 this year in England, cancer patients in England, people under the age of 19 and over 60 and those suffering from certain illnesses will not have to pay for their prescriptions. But why not follow the example of everywhere else in the United Kingdom and get rid of prescription charges altogether?
There is plenty of evidence that many poor people do not take necessary medication – and sometimes do not even seek medical advice – because of the cost. The principle that healthcare should be free at the point of delivery is a very sound one and successive British governments have repeatedly pledged their support for it. However, the pledges of politicians are often not reflected in the actual experience of poor people.
It is to Labour’s credit that the number of prescriptions that have to be paid for will be further reduced following the abolition of prescription charges for patients suffering from cancer. However, it is also clear that some elements of the present system are both confusing and, at times, unfair. For example, people with diabetes who require insulin treatment receive free medicines for all conditions, whereas those whose diabetes is controlled by diet must pay for their medication. People with cystic fibrosis who would have died from their illness in childhood in the 1960s are now living longer, reaching adulthood and finding that they have to pay charges for all their long-term medications. Meanwhile, other chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS are not covered at all.
In the short term, we need to address the list of benefits which entitle the recipient to free prescriptions. There is a strong argument that the list should be extended to include incapacity benefit and the disability living allowance. At present, anyone whose weekly income is more than £3.65 above the income support poverty line has to pay the full prescription charge.
It simply unfair that some people living with long-term conditions pay no prescription charges, while others, suffering from equally serious conditions do have to pay for all their treatments. Gordon Brown needs a few popular and populist announcements to bolster his standing and that of his Government. Abolishing prescription charges in England has the merit of also being the right thing to do.
Mike Ion was Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Shrewsbury and Atcham at the 2005 general election
