TORY plans to increase the number of people in England forced to pay prescription charges have been branded “unacceptable” by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
The UK Government is looking to increase the age at which people become entitled to free prescriptions from 60 to 66.
The pharmacy body is “deeply concerned” about the proposals, which the Tory government says would align free prescriptions with the state pension age.
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James Bethell, UK Government health minister, said the Government is committed to “supporting the NHS with the funding it needs to recovery from this pandemic”.
“The upper age exemption for free prescriptions used to align with the State Pension age, but that link has been lost over the years,” he said.
“Prescription charges are an important source of income for the NHS, and the costs of providing free prescriptions continue to increase with our aging population.
“I encourage anyone with views on our proposals to share them through the consultation response form, available online on gov.uk.”
Meanwhile in Scotland, prescription charges are free to all and the Scottish Government has pledged to scrap NHS dental charges during this parliamentary term.
SNP MSP Emma Harper (below), a former nurse, described Tory plans to make more people pay for medicines as “deeply alarming” – and a “stark reminder of the risks of letting Westminster decide Scotland’s future”.
“The SNP's abolition of prescription charges in Scotland means everyone can access the vital medication they need without having to pay a penny,” she commented. “The SNP are also taking the next logical step by scrapping NHS dental charges too, keeping Scotland’s NHS truly free at the point of need.
“Health should not come at a price, yet these Tory proposals could leave thousands of people struggling or unable to afford medicines they need to stay healthy.
“The different directions of travel between the SNP government at Holyrood and the Johnson government at Westminster demonstrates the growing Tory threat to our NHS.”
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The UK Government “simply can’t be trusted to protect Scotland’s NHS”, she added.
In England, under-16s and teenagers in higher education are also exempt from prescription fees.
Prescriptions currently cost £9.35 per item, or people who need frequent medication can purchase an annual prepaid certificate for £108.10.
The UK Government believes increasing the number of people paying these charges would bring in up to £300 million more for the health service over the next five years.
Their consultation on the matter is running for eight weeks.
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