End of free prescriptions ?

[Deleted member 25172]

From 2018. Don’t know if anything has changed since then or if the Scotsman is reputable enough, but a very quick google search tell me they are. Perhaps the cost is minimal in the grand scheme of the NHS apparatus, but £400 million in 5 years for NHS England alone to prescribe paracetamol sounds absolutely bonkers, to me at least.

https://www.scotsman.com/health/revealed-the-cost-of-free-paracetamol-to-nhs-scotland-287448

 

[jim8flog]

........which was my original post
Out of interest is the charge per item or per prescription in England ?

Yes per item, when you have to pay the charge.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

The Scotsman has a very one sided take on Scottish news.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Yes per item, when you have to pay the charge.

Thanks.
Wow, that would cost my wife about £600 pa.

Something very strange with the Ayrshire and Arran and Lanarkshire figures on that Scotsmen post.
Both Trusts would, I imagine be roughly the same size.

 

[jim8flog]

Thanks.
Wow, that would cost my wife about £600 pa.

You can buy a prescription prepay certificate which is £108 a year.

 

[Deleted member 30522]

It’s easy to be “socially responsible” when you are spending other people’s money.

All govt spending is "other people's money", we all pay tax, we elect those we think best suited to then spending it

 

[Deleted member 30522]

Writing cheques they can't afford. Just my opinion of course.

ScotGov can't borrow, so seems a silly point to make?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

If people are too poor to afford prescriptions to treat their ailments then there is generally a more costly knock on effect in lost work time, hospital treatment, care treatment and even stuff like tax gathering .[IMVHO.]
The actual cost of managing and maintaining a fee paying element to prescriptions is also quite considerable.
A caring society looks after and cares for its citizens who are ill.

 

[bobmac]

I remember a dcotor asking if I wanted a prescription for paracetemol (which i declined) when the surgery was 100 yeards from Sainsburys that sold them for 18p

Or even less! I think I pay 16p!

Well Greg, I bet you're gutted to discover you've been throwing your money away all these years?

 

[Robster59]

ScotGov can't borrow, so seems a silly point to make?

I could debate but it would be bounced for being political.

 

[oxymoron]

As an asthmatic I can assure you that asthma is NOT one of the conditions that make you eligible for free prescriptions.

Been away for a few days so sorry for the delay , i checked with the lad i mentioned and it turns out he has another med that puts him
in a category that qualifies for free prescriptions.

 

[cliveb]

Been away for a few days so sorry for the delay , i checked with the lad i mentioned and it turns out he has another med that puts him
in a category that qualifies for free prescriptions.

OK, fair enough.
Although it perplexes me that someone with one of those conditions (eg. type 1 diabetes) gets ALL their prescriptions free, not just the ones to deal with the specific condition.