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News... Healthcare News Drop prescription charge says BMA
News... Healthcare News Drop prescription charge says BMA
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Doctors' leaders have called on the government to abolish prescription charges for all patients in England. The British Medical Association (BMA) says the current system is not working and is "iniquitous" for many patients. Prescriptions are free for everyone in Wales, will be free in Northern Ireland by 2010 and in Scotland by 2011. But the BMA says the stance in England is outdated - and detrimental to the health of many, since charging can put people off taking medication they need. Some age groups, pregnant women, people on benefits and patients with certain conditions remain exempt from the £7.10 charge. Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "In England, 89% of prescription items are dispensed for free, the remainder provide valuable income to the NHS, which goes towards to the safety and speed of healthcare. "But we are making the system fairer. Cancer patients will be eligible for free prescriptions from 1 April and we're looking at how we can do the same for people with long-term conditions." Winners and losers But the BMA is worried about creating a "new set of arbitrary winners and losers." Chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum said: "Free prescriptions for people with long-term conditions is a laudable aim, but it does not go far enough. "Making the list of exemptions longer will not make it fairer. Ultimately, we could end up with a situation where only a tiny proportion of prescriptions attract a charge, which would be nonsensical. "Abolishing prescription charges altogether is the fairest and the simplest option." The BMA said the current system was unfair, with people with asthma and heart disease, for example, not being exempt despite needing long-term treatment. People whose incomes were low, but are just above the levels required to trigger exemptions, were also penalised, it said. 'Contradictory' Scrapping all charges could improve care and benefit society. For example it could reduce hospital admissions because people take their prescription medicines, and it may help patients to return to work more quickly following illness, the BMA added. Katherine Murphy, director of the Patients Association, said English patients were "left navigating an increasingly contradictory system". She added: "We have long supported the abolition of prescription charges and welcome the BMA's stance. Patients are sick of healthcare lotteries." Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "We were delighted the government listened to us and abolished prescription charges for cancer patients. "It was absolutely the right thing to do and finally righted a wrong which stood for 40 years." |
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