On 15 May the Health Secretary announced a freeze on prescription charges to help with the cost of living crisis.
While we welcome the freeze in the cost of prescriptions, we were disappointed that the Government did not agree to review the outdated prescription exemption list, or rule out their proposal to align the charge with the state pension age. This could mean hundreds of thousands of people over 60 being faced with paying for prescriptions. We’re still waiting for the outcome of the consultation that ran last year. Freezing the charge will help people with long-term conditions in England who are struggling to afford the cost of their vital medications. The charges for prescriptions will remain at:
Laura Cockram, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Parkinson’s UK and Chair of the Prescription Charges Coalition, said: “We welcome the UK Government’s decision to freeze NHS prescription charges to help with the cost of living. It will be a relief for those who need medicine to stay well. However, it appears to be a short- term measure for resolving a long-standing issue. “We know that people with long-term health conditions like Parkinson’s, asthma, HIV, heart disease and MS have struggled to afford vital medication. When people miss, reduce or delay taking their medication, their condition deteriorates and they are more likely to visit their GP more or end up in accident and emergency. “We call on the Government to rule out aligning the charge with the state pension age and urgently commit to reviewing the outdated prescription charge exemption list.” Our campaign goes on The Prescription Charges Coalition will continue to campaign for the charge to be reviewed and scrapped, as we frequently hear from people with long-term conditions who are struggling to afford their medication to stay well. If you’re interested in sharing your experience or getting involved in the campaign please contact prescriptionchargescoalition@gmail.com
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The Department of Health and Social Care have confirmed that prescription charges will not rise in 2022.
We are pleased as we know people with long term conditions are struggling to afford their vital medication, with the rising cost of living. That's why we're calling on the UK Government to review the list and scrap the charge. Media coverage Our comment was picked up by The Daily Express. Pharmacy organisations who are members of the Coalition shared examples of how damaging the charge is, as patients make tough decision about what medications they leave behind, because they simply can't afford them. A Coalition spokesperson said: “We welcome the decision to freeze prescription charges this year, however the English Government still lags behind their Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts in recognising that this charge is a false economy and must be scrapped entirely. “Despite the freeze, the cost of living continues to spiral, so pharmacists are seeing an increase in the number of people asking which items they could leave behind and live without, simply because they can not afford them. “It’s entirely unfair that the UK Government is putting this unnecessary pressure on pharmacists to have to provide counsel on which of these vital medications should be prioritised by the patient. That is not their job and it’s seldom a simple answer. “When people miss or delay taking essential medication, their condition deteriorates and they are more likely to rely on NHS services more, or even end up in hospital. “These are entirely avoidable admissions which cost the NHS millions, and can have damaging consequences for the patient. “We have recently seen that the UK Government is willing to make changes to how HRT is charged, but now it's time to make healthcare equitable for all.” The current system of prescription charges in England affects the most vulnerable people in society and makes the health inequality in this country worse. At the NPA, it’s been our longstanding position that people should not be denied access to prescription medicines on the basis of their ability to pay. As pharmacists, we understand the healing power of medicines. We also know from first-hand experience that people on low fixed incomes who do not qualify for exemption suffer greatly from the current system. From a pharmacist’s point of view, processing prescription levies is a task which adds workload but has no patient benefit. We are health care professionals and have no interest in being tax collectors! We also believe there would be little return on investment to the NHS from proposals to aligning the upper age for NHS prescription charges at 65 years old, due to the various operational costs. It could also lead to indirect cost to the NHS as people’s health suffers from making a reluctant choice not to take their medicines as prescribed. All prescriptions should be exempt from charges regardless of age or medical condition, as is the case in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Far more value for money can be achieved in the drugs budget by reducing waste and improving medicines use, for example through the NHS New Medicines Service, which has recently been expanded to include Parkinson’s, heart failure and stroke. Pharmacists, like other health care professionals, experience great pressures on their time and they want to spend it with patients, not with paperwork associated with prescription charges. The National Pharmacy Association is glad to be part of the prescription charges coalition, seeking reform of this outdated, illogical and unfair system. Helga MangionHelga is Policy Manager at The National Pharmacy Association. Last year we encouraged supporters to write to their MP and ask them to sign Early Day Motion 406 to oppose the Government's proposal to align prescription charges with the state pension age. We're delighted that the numbers on the EDM are slowly increasing.
We've also been reaching out to MPs and peers to keep our concerns present in the Government's mind, as they make their decision on whether to implement their proposals. During December and January various MPs have asked questions about prescription charges in parliament including Caroline Lucas, Navendu Mishra and Sarah Green. Parliamentary debate The Cystic Fibrosis Trust also worked with Paul Maynard MP to secure a parliamentary debate on the impact of prescription charges for people living with cystic fibrosis. We plan to follow up this debate with a letter to the Minister, Lord Kamall asking him to urgently review the prescription charge exemption list. Our worries have also been picked up by the press throughout January in:
We'll continue to provide comment and raise our opposition to the plans, that will see people with long-term conditions pay for longer for their vital medication. We welcome the government's proposal that people needing HRT prescriptions will only need to pay once a year for their medication, and call on the Government to ensure this change also applies to men affected by Klinefelter syndrome (KS/XXY). This will significantly reduce the cost a person needing the medication will face, by up to £200 per year.
We pay tribute to Carolyn Harris MP for tabling the Menopause, Support and Services Bill as she has shone a spotlight on the unfairness of people getting vital medication for free in all other UK nations. We also thank all MPs who supported the debate and shared their experiences. But thousands of people with other long term health conditions are still facing rising costs to simply live well and manage their condition. This is unjust and risks burdening our NHS, as medication remains unaffordable. Now is the time for the Government to overhaul the outdated prescription charges exemption list. The UK Government are currently consulting on aligning the prescription charge to the State Pension Age.
The Prescription Charges Coalition oppose this proposal and are encouraging supporters to email their MP asking them to raise concerns about this with the Department of Health and Social Care. Media pick up our concerns Over the past few weeks the Coalition have shared our concerns about the proposal with various media outlets. Our comments have been covered in The Daily Express and also on BBC Radio Humberside (from 3.16.30) after Labour councillors in North East Lincolnshire condemned the proposals. Take action It's crucial the Government hear from people who will be affected, so please email your MP, sign the 38 degrees petition and respond to the consultation by 2 September. The UK Government are consulting on aligning the prescription charge with the State Pension Age. This would mean that people in England would need to pay for their prescriptions until they're at least 66 initially and this would rise as the State Pension Age does.
We are opposed to this proposal as we don't believe the impact of it has been properly assessed for:
Last Thursday (1 April) the Coalition was mentioned in over 500 pieces of media coverage across the country, as we warned that the cost of a single prescription item could reach over £10 by 2025.
We managed to secure national coverage in The Metro, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, MSN UK and across hundreds of regional publications. Many of our charity supporters also shared their support on their social channels using the hashtag #ReviewTheList We'll continue to campaign for the Government to review the prescription exemption list and scrap the charge for people with long-term conditions. Earlier this week the UK government announced they would increase prescription charges in England on 1 April 2021.
We will continue to campaign for the government to review the exemption list and scrap the charge for people with long-term conditions. |
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May 2022
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