Prescription

[Bliss2]

Morning all just read about prescription saying they must be raised and pensioners made to pay so the NHS can tackle it's looming £30 billion black hole a think tank says,the think tank reform said putting prescription up from £7.85 to £10 would raise £130 million lol xx

[Toci]

I remember having a discussion with a nurse who wanted to change my medication from a drug costing 20p a dose (£5.60 per 28 days) for one costing 17p a dose (£4.76 per 28 days) to save money for the NHS. I pointed out the drug worked very well for me and I did not really want to try one that may not work as well and that I was paying over £7 for it so they were in fact making a profit out of me, regardless of which one was prescribed!

[Bliss2 in reply to Toci]

Hi Toci good for you sticking to your guns an staying on the same drug lol x

[appyalison]

Where on earth do these people get the idea that older people are well off. No way could I afford to pay for prescriptions. Perhaps if they started helping us bring up our granddaughter, we could pay something. Most retired people I know have very little money. We must deal with people who have 'rights' ' but do not have to be responsible. Alison

[newlands]

I f i had toopay £10 per item i would be paying £180 a month

[initial]

Perhaps if the think tank found ways to curtail the costs to the NHS with health tourism, that in itself would fill their £30 million black hole, rather than burden the indigenous population with yet more health costs.

newstatesman.com/politics/2...

[MarieW-F]

The Prepayment prescription card works out at about £9 a month and covers all prescriptions. Fantastic value.

Marie

[Toci in reply to MarieW-F]

It is what I use Marie.

[Hidden]

I wonder how many prescriptions could be paid for with the millionaires tax cuts?

[chellshock]

I dont know where i would be without my prepayment card x

[O2Trees]

Just checked out the Reform report. I particularly agree with fines for people who DNA. They cost the NHS hugely, no excuse for it.

Im too old for prepayment card but friends have them - great value as has been said.

[RichardAT]

What they need to do is stop certain regions of the UK giving free prescriptions for all.

[Hidden in reply to RichardAT]

I fully agree Richard, then those in Scotland with cancer wouldn't need to move to England to get life prolonging treatment - all because the NHS in Scotland doesn't have any money left. The term NATIONAL Health Service is a misnomer anyway.

[Bliss2 in reply to Hidden]

I think it's a good job they do come to England anyone having cancer needs all the help they can get lol xx

[MarieW-F in reply to Hidden]

Really? I was not aware of this happening - where was the story?

[Bliss2 in reply to MarieW-F]

I read this in the newspaper x

[Hidden in reply to Bliss2]

Just a thought, which newspaper?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

One of a few different papers

dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot...

[MarieW-F in reply to RichardAT]

The Scottish and Welsh government pay for prescriptions from the money allocated by Westminster. They aren't taking any more money from the rest of the UK - just choosing to spend it differently. I am not sure how sustainable it is and I know getting an appointment to see a doctor can be extremeley difficult but its the decision thats been made by them. I am completely of the view that if you can afford to then you should be asked to pay some way towards your prescriptions, but then I have been sat in a surgery waiting with someone to see a doctor because they didnt' want to pay full price for ibuprofen in the chemist.

[WestWalesPaul in reply to MarieW-F]

I live in Wales and am hugely grateful for the free prescriptions. I do feel, however, that there ought to be something in place to prevent people wasting GP's time/NHS money etc like Marie says above.

I also think that there are a lot of people who could afford to pay without any problem [financially] at all. It all needs looking at very carefully imo.

[katieoxo60]

I am one of those elderly they are talking about along with many others in my friendship group, most of whom could not pay ten pounds per item for drugs. Many of us could possibly get by if there were some means tested system for drugs. Mine would cost me about £100 on average per month. The prepayment card is very good value if you take lots of drugs as do most chronically sick. But after a lifetime of working and paying taxes I feel we elderly should be entitled to some perks and I don't agree with penalising the sick or the elderly with failing health

[Bliss2 in reply to katieoxo60]

Wow!!! That's a lot of money, good job you get it free lol xx

[katieoxo60 in reply to Bliss2]

Yes it is lucky I don't have to pay, but even when I was employed I used to apply for help on low income grounds. Guess we will have to start another petition to save pensioners prescription rights

[MarieW-F]

In fact reading this, if they do go down this avenue then the commonsense approach would be to allow pensioners to apply for a pre-payment card too? If I was of a certain age and this came in I would be screaming age discrimination...

[Bliss2 in reply to MarieW-F]

I agree with you MarieW-F

[Carroll]

I don't know what I would do without my pre payment card.......

[Bevvy]

My elderly dad used to pay for MY pre payment card because I just couldn't afford it! It was the only good thing about getting additional diagnosis of Diabetes that now I get free prescriptions!!

[Hidden]

But it's not just age discrimination, is it?

Yes. I've been wondering when this was going to happen.

I'm not near retirement yet but, for some time, I've been wondering when exactly the Government, cough, cough, Unelected Coalition, were going to try to get something like this through to subsidise the massive cuts they've been imposing on the NHS (and continue to impose). Bloody disgraceful. It's not going to be just pensioners, though, Bliss2, they're going to hit all those they're currently hitting, (i.e. the pensioners plus the unemployed, the sick; those who struggle to make a living; the 'shirkers' as 'they' call them who .are too unwell to work as well as those who are too depressed because they're unable to find work). You've touched a button with me. I am just so angry with what's currently going on and I suspect my generation (the 'baby boomers' as we're called, 40s/50s, are really going to be hit as well as those poor sods who have nothing at all.

You wait. From what I've read, there are research reports currently being produced, evaluating the efficacy of charging folk for visiting their GPs.

We're living in a very harsh society now. I think it's all very worrying and I think you're so right to be concerned but I think it's not just pensioners who will be hit (who are so vulnerable) but plenty of others who are vulnerable too. I just wish there was something I could think of to disarm all of this nastiness.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

By the way, grr, packed up smoking again today so probably feeling more angry than usual about these things. Well, actually, this nasty crew in power make me so angry anyway. And, Toc, spot on; as ever!

[WeymouthJohn]

All a question of priorities.

Offered a choice between spending billions on a US-controlled "deterrent" which certainly hasn't deterred the Taliban or on giving the sick and elderly a half-decent life I know which I would choose.

But then, I haven't been given the choice!

This is called democracy.

John - very angry

[Mavary]

I was a little girl when The NHS came in first. Before, when my Father was ill with pneumonia my Mother had to go pea and bean picking to pay for his medication. Are we going back to that. Where is The NHS going and why. Is it because they are not asking people for enough money or sending too much money to other things. I would pay another pound to make it work as I expect anyone else would. Maybe we need to get rid of some of the Chiefs we never used to have them. Just a caring profession. Sorry! I needed that rant. I'm sure a lot of you agree. I hope I haven't opened a can of worms.

[warwickstag]

I'd be amazed if this were to happen ahead of the 2015 general election. Even Camoron is not stupid enough to go into that as the nasty party, and Clegg wouldn't get any party support for this. But if the Tories get a workable majority then all bets are off and the NHS won't survive a Tory victory so don't grow old, lose your job. or fall sick if they do win.

[onamission]

I live in England we had a new hospital built about 20 years ago and then some local councillor who lived in Tenerife was on the hospital board thought it would be a good idea to join a hospital with 17 million debt. This hospital treats people on the welch boarder and has the purse strings for both trusts they have not claimed money for A&E the hole thing is a mess sadly we are stuck with this hospital now as they have taken many of our services thanks to the local councillor who lived in Tenerife.

I pay for my medication so buy a pre paid card but the NHS was set up to treat people who are ill not for breast enlargements and all the none life threatening things the NHS treat these days