One birthday I won’t be celebrating

I was born in 1968 and so was the medical exemption list. This list decides who pays prescription charges and who doesn’t, but I didn’t have a say in getting Parkinson’s.

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s aged 9, though I’ve had the symptoms since I was 7. Fortunately for me I had a working tax credit exemption until recently, which meant I didn’t have to pay for the more than 200,000 tablets I’ve taken in my lifetime.

Since losing that exemption I’ve had to ration my medication to spread the cost, prioritising the most urgent ones and leaving others for later. I now pay monthly through the prepayment scheme. It’s stressful because I can’t live without my drugs. I’ve been on levodopa for so long that my body couldn’t cope without it.

I’ve had to start counting the pennies more and more. I resent paying it as it could still cost me thousands throughout my life and there is nothing I can do about it! I’ve worked for as long as possible and paid my national insurance contributions, so it’s galling to think that I’m being treated differently to other people whose long-term conditions are exempt.

Last summer I shared my story as part of the Prescription Charges Coalition launch of their report Still Paying the Price which found that among those like myself currently paying for prescriptions, a third had not collected medications due to the cost. Others reported skipping or reducing their doses to save money – leading to worsening health, time off work and emergency hospital admissions.

New research published just last week by the York Health Economics Consortium now shows that for people with Parkinson’s (and inflammatory bowel disease), charging for prescriptions is a false economy to the NHS. By removing prescription charges, people like me are better able to stay well and avoid health complications- which would mean fewer GP visits and emergency hospital admissions. For each working age person with Parkinson’s the NHS would save £93 per year by scrapping prescription charges.

Next week the medical exemption list will be 50 years old- but I won’t be celebrating. It is time to change this unfair and outdated system. Add your voice by signing up to the Thunderclap.

​Matt Eagles @MattEagles

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