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Charities call for reform of prescription charges now

Eleven charities have formed a coalition campaign to call for major reform of the current system of prescription charges in England. They are asking the Government to urgently review prescription charges to make all prescriptions free for people with long-term conditions and disabilities and ensure that no-one is unable to afford vital medication.

Why are people struggling to afford prescriptions?

It has long been Government policy to protect people who are likely to have difficulty paying charges. But hundreds of thousands of people are going without their prescriptions because current measures are insufficient.

• Not everyone on benefits gets free prescriptions – notably many people on incapacity benefit and disability benefits do not
• The Low Income Scheme (LIS) is hard to understand, poorly publicised and people with savings or incomes just a few pounds above the threshold have to pay the full cost for prescriptions
• Pre-payment certificates (PPCs) are one way for high prescription users to cap their costs. However very few patients know about these and take-up is low – a recent Ipsos MORI survey found just 3% of people who had been given prescriptions used a PPC.
• Research for CAB found that 800,000 people failed to collect a prescription last year (2007) in England because of the cost involved. For example, 34% of people with asthma who have to pay charges have been unable to afford a prescription in the last year. A Breast Cancer Care survey conducted in 2007 found that 57% of respondents had experienced financial difficulties as a result of paying prescription charges.

While the current system continues, millions of people with long-term conditions and disabilities are unfairly penalised by charges and many hundreds of thousands of patients are risking their health because they cannot afford their prescriptions. This situation is unacceptable.

How you MP can help

The coalition wants MPs from all parties to demonstrate their concern for the practical issues facing patients and support the campaign for reform including:

• Writing to Alan Johnson to ask him to address our concerns and keep the promise to launch a consultation on options for change
• Signing cross party EDM 1264, which urges the Government to launch its consultation as soon as possible
• Raising the issue in Parliament where possible

Who is involved in the campaign

The coalition consists of Arthritis Care, Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Asthma UK, Breast Cancer Care, Diabetes UK, Disability Alliance, Mind, MS Society, Parkinson's Disease Society, Rethink and the Terrence Higgins Trust.

Contact

If you have any questions or comments about the coalition, please email us on prescriptionchargecoalition@asthma.org.uk

More information

• edm 1264
• find your mp
• house of commons health select committee report on nhs charges - Summary and link report which criticises the system of health charges in England. The page also links to the Government's response to this report.
• parliamentary briefing on the campaign
• The Times (letter and subsequent article)

1. article
2. letter

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