Prescription charges to be scrapped
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Prescription charges are set to become a thing of the past under proposals from the Northern Ireland Assembly.
NEWS that prescription charges are to be abolished has received resounding support by local politicians and health officials.
Welsh Assembly members voted to scrap the controversial 'tax on sick' back in April 2007, now NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has announced the NI Assembly is hoping to follow their example.
Making the announcement at the Cancer Centre in Belfast City Hospital, he said, "A cradle to grave health service, free at the point of delivery, is the founding principle of the NHS which was founded 60 years ago this year. It is a principle that I and the entire population of Northern Ireland wholeheartedly support.
“Yet, for the majority of the last 60 years, people here have been forced to live with an inequitable and unjust system whereby one person's suffering is ranked above another. It is simply unacceptable that those who are ill should have to worry about finding money for vital drugs which they cannot afford. This is totally against the ethos of a health service which promises free health and social care to all."
Mr McGimpsey said that after an initial reduction of £3 per prescription in Jan 2009, the fees will be eliminated in NI by April 2010 subject to agreement by the Executive.
Prepayment certificates would also be reduced; from £35.85 to £9 for four months and from £98.70 to £25 for 12 months until prescriptions are free.
The UUP minister said that in reaching his decision he had to "Carefully consider the consequences of any change to the current charging regime in Northern Ireland."
“A key consideration for me was the loss of around £13m income each year from prescription charges, and while it is only 3.5 percent of the total drugs bill, it is still a lot of money." he said.
“After looking closely at the financial position with my officials, I have concluded that the cost of free prescriptions can be found within my existing budget and without impacting on any existing service."
Party colleague and Mid Ulster MLA Billy Armstrong commended the move, "I am sure everyone will join me in welcoming this announcement by the Health Minister. This is good news for everyone in Northern Ireland and removes what is effectively a tax on the sick. It will be of particular benefit to those who require repeat prescriptions for long-standing illnesses and medical problems." he said. Mr Armstrong went on to explain how this move was a 'clear example of how a locally elected Assembly and Executive can work', and how it proves the assembly can produce 'tangible benefits' for the people of Northern Ireland.
This was a mood echoed by Mitchel McLaughlin, local Sinn Fein MLA, "This move is long overdue and will help alleviate some of the financial burden from those on low income but still liable for prescription charges." he said.
“As we stand many people on low incomes, including cancer sufferers, were forced to choose between what medicines they could actually afford to get on prescription. This obviously had a very adverse affect on the ability to treat illnesses.
“The move to abolish charges will go some way to addressing health inequalities removing affordability as a factor in health care."
DUP Mid Ulster MLA Cllr Ian McCrea welcomed the move but believes that the proposal falls short of the immediate eradication of fees his party sought.
“Following the announcement from the Prime Minister Gordon Brown last Tuesday that cancer patients in England will no longer have to pay for prescriptions I believe that it is now time that Northern Ireland is brought into line with the rest of the UK." he said.
“The statement from the Health Minister falls short of the immediate abolition of prescription charges for cancer sufferers, however it is a move in the right direction."
Tom Creighton, Chairman of the Northern Health and Social Services Council urged the executive to pass the proposal.
“For years the NHSSC has been concerned with the increasing cost of prescriptions and the financial burden it has placed on so many people particularly those with a long standing illness. This is indeed an historic day for Northern Ireland and I appeal to the Executive to accept Mr McGimpsey's proposal." he said.
While Mr Creighton welcomed the proposal he also advocated public responsibility, "The NHSSC looks forward to an end to the present inequitable system and will be encouraging people living its area to help make this work by acting responsibly with regard to prescriptions. Remember you do not need a pill for every illness." he said.
Heather Monteverde of Macmillan Cancer Support said: "Cancer patients in Northern Ireland have been struggling to pay these unfair charges for too long and it is fantastic news." Macmillan Cancer Support believe 55,000 cancer patients in the province will benefit.
With Scotland also planning to faze out prescription charges by 2011, England will be the only country in the UK to retain the fees.
