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05/03/2009
The British Medical Association (BMA)
have called on the government to scrap prescription
charges for all patients in England.
In Wales prescriptions are free and
will be in Scotland & Northern Ireland by 2011 and 2010
respectively. The BMA believe that the unfair levy
on English patients needs to be redressed.
The
BMA went so far as to describe the system as
"iniquitous" for many patients.
The BMA's
call came on the same day that ministers announced a
rise in charges in England, from £7.10 to £7.20 per
prescription.
The cost of a dental check-up on
the NHS in England will also increase by 30p to £16.50.
Here is a general summary of the charging system
as it stands right now:
PRESCRIPTION
CHARGES
-
England:
£7.10
-
Scotland:
Phased out by 2011
-
Wales: No
charge since 2007
-
Northern
Ireland: £3 from January 2009, phased out by April
2010
The governments immediate response was to point out that
up to 89% of patients already receive free prescriptions
in England and that the remaining group of patients who
do actually pay, contribute significantly to the running
of the NHS
Have you suffered
injury or harm
as a result of wrongly prescribed medication? We may
be able to help with a compensation claim.
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