It's A Tax

[Johnmelad502]

In England (unless you are exempt) we have to pay for our prescriptions. If you are Welsh or Scottish they are free.

Had prescriptions been made free in England but the Scots and Welsh had to pay for them it would be been as unacceptably racist.

Is it just me that can't understand why/how this happened?

Prescription charges do no go to the chemist or the drug manufacturer, they go direct into Government coffers, so they really are just another tax on the English.

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

Nothing new there, just get used to it 'cos it ain't going to get any better.

 

[D_Hailsham]

Prescription charges do no go to the chemist or the drug manufacturer, they go direct into Government coffers,

But it's the Government who pays the chemist and drug manufacturer. So the money goes to them indirectly. In any case the amount the customer pays rarely covers the cost of the drugs.

I had to have a course of injections about a year ago which came in "use once" syringes. I was on the borderline for the weight-related size of syringe to use. I needed 80 units and there were only 75 or 100 unit syringes available. The doctor said he would use the 75 unit and not the 100 (discarding some drug to bring the quantity injected down to 80 units). When I asked why, he said the 75 unit syringe costs £30 each, the 100 unit cost £80 each. That would mean throwing away £16 of drug each time.

 

[JohnD]

IIRC Prescription Charges were brought in by that dreadful Thatcher woman because she didn't like the thought of people getting something for nothing

In fact, most prescriptions aren't paid for.

If you're young they're free

If you're old they're free

If you're on income related benfits they're free

If you have certain illnesses they're free

If like me you have more than half a dozen or so scripts per year, you can buy a pre-payment certificate, and then it costs you no more however many you have in the year.

 

[Johnmelad502]

If you're on income related benfits they're free

Not true, you only get them free if you receive:
* Income Support.
* Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
* Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.

Anyway, can anyone explain why Taffs and Jock's get them free and the English don't?

 

[kirkgas]

In England (unless you are exempt) we have to pay for our prescriptions. If you are Welsh or Scottish they are free.
Had prescriptions been made free in England but the Scots and Welsh had to pay for them it would be been as unacceptably racist.

Is it just me that can't understand why/how this happened?

Prescription charges do no go to the chemist or the drug manufacturer, they go direct into Government coffers, so they really are just another tax on the English.

sorry dont know where you got the idea that scots all get free prescriptions, i have been lucky and have not been ill much at all but each and every prescription i have had has been paid for,

 

[gsjheeta]

still aint that bad compared to US health service. now thats expensive but the quality is there thou. just hope UK gets better soon

 

[Alison556]

Prescriptions certainly are not free in Scotland.

And if you want to get on the rant thing - we had to pay the bloody Godforsaken Poll Tax for a year before you lot south of the border!!

(I'll just sit back now and wait for the poo to hit the fan!! )

 

[Stivino]

I pay for mine too and what p!$$e$ me off is that the cream I get is only worth pennies but because I can only get it with a script I have to pay over the oddds for it.

 

[Estrella]

I can confirm that prescriptions in Wales are free.

 

[xerxes]

IIRC Prescription Charges were brought in by that dreadful Thatcher woman because she didn't like the thought of people getting something for nothing.

Although your instinct may be to blame Mrs Thatcher for everything, I'm afraid your memory is at fault.

Prescription charges were proposed by the first post-war Labour government in 1951, famously leading to a number of ministerial resignations. They were introduced in 1952, rather a long time before Margaret Thatcher entered parliament.

Harold Wilson's Labour government abolished the charges in 1965; the Labour government was forced to reintroduce them in 1968 as the NHS drugs bill was soaring.

Medicines have to be paid for by someone (English taxpayers, it seems) and unless some measures are put in place enormous waste ensues, and medicines are issued that people don't need.

 

[JohnD]

everything is always Thatchers fault

If you're on income related benefits they're free

Not true, you only get them free if you receive:
* Income Support.
* Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
* Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.

I don't get any benefits so I don't know. Are there other Income-Related benefits that don't bring free scripts then?

 

[WDIK]

IIRC Prescription Charges were brought in by that dreadful Thatcher woman because she didn't like the thought of people getting something for nothing

In fact, most prescriptions aren't paid for.

If you're young they're free

If you're old they're free

If you're on income related benfits they're free

If you have certain illnesses they're free

If like me you have more than half a dozen or so scripts per year, you can buy a pre-payment certificate, and then it costs you no more however many you have in the year.

to completely accurate, you missed those having been diagnosed with Cancer.

as from april 1st this year, Im glad to say they are exempt.

 

[xerxes]

If you have certain illnesses they're free

To be completely accurate, you missed those having been diagnosed with Cancer.

As from April 1st this year, I'm glad to say they are exempt.

I think that's what he said.

The problem with this is that it leads to ghastly inconsistencies. Cancer is an emotive disease, but many other illnesses are also life threatening.

I get free prescriptions because I have a thyroid malfunction. My wife has multiple sclerosis and has to pay for her medicine.

 

[WDIK]

Dammn, sorry about that.
being a Cancer sufferer personally, leads me to forget others woes