News4 mins ago
Prescription Charges
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7925167.stm Doctors call for the abolition of prescription charges in England. Should the English be expected to subsidise the health costs of the rest of the UK?
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Everyone should pay (that's everyone including the dozen categories of "free") or everyone should not, I don't care which but it should be fair. As it is I think I'm the only one that pays now, I mean I've been in the chemists lots of times and all the people in front of me seem to have some sort of exemption, so I I don't reckon my �7.10 every 3 months will make a lot of difference!
Four out of five prescriptions in England are issued free of charge. This means that everybody who pays is paying five times as much as they should because they are subsidising four others.
No doubt a good number of those not paying are not required to do so because they are in receipt of various benefits (which those who pay for their prescriptions are not) and so those paying, pay for that as well. The door labelled �in receipt of benefits� leads to all manner of �free� facilities which have to be funded. The situation is scandalous.
To widen the debate a little, those people in the UK that do contribute to the NHS contribute to a National (that is, UK-wide) Health Service. They do not pay into an English, or a Welsh or a Scottish fund. Until they do, the benefits available from that fund should be universal across the UK. If the Scots want to provide free prescriptions let them do so out of their own funds. But they may find that a little difficult when the current Barnett formula provides them with a significantly greater share of the UK�s diminishing cake than their English cousins.
These problems were bound to arise with the badly framed and half-baked system of �devolution� that this government kindly provided for the minority constituents of the UK.
Another great idea for the benefit of everybody bar the English.
No doubt a good number of those not paying are not required to do so because they are in receipt of various benefits (which those who pay for their prescriptions are not) and so those paying, pay for that as well. The door labelled �in receipt of benefits� leads to all manner of �free� facilities which have to be funded. The situation is scandalous.
To widen the debate a little, those people in the UK that do contribute to the NHS contribute to a National (that is, UK-wide) Health Service. They do not pay into an English, or a Welsh or a Scottish fund. Until they do, the benefits available from that fund should be universal across the UK. If the Scots want to provide free prescriptions let them do so out of their own funds. But they may find that a little difficult when the current Barnett formula provides them with a significantly greater share of the UK�s diminishing cake than their English cousins.
These problems were bound to arise with the badly framed and half-baked system of �devolution� that this government kindly provided for the minority constituents of the UK.
Another great idea for the benefit of everybody bar the English.
Not all the 'Exempt' are those on benefit.
I know you could class state pensioners as being on 'benefits', by the fact that they are in receipt of a 'State Pension', but do you really think that pensioners should pay the prescription fee especially when most are on numerous drugs and other medication?
Of course there is another way round this, make them pay like everyone else. Then perhaps along with the high fuel costs and high Council Taxes, they wouldn't be able to afford all these out of their meagre state pension.
Then perhaps they would then just die away?
I know you could class state pensioners as being on 'benefits', by the fact that they are in receipt of a 'State Pension', but do you really think that pensioners should pay the prescription fee especially when most are on numerous drugs and other medication?
Of course there is another way round this, make them pay like everyone else. Then perhaps along with the high fuel costs and high Council Taxes, they wouldn't be able to afford all these out of their meagre state pension.
Then perhaps they would then just die away?
I hope the goverment take the doctors of Englands views on board. I live in Wales and it was a blessing when our assembly pushed for free "Scripts". Many patients just stopped collecting their scripts as they could'nt afford it. They had just reached �6 a script when it became free. Before that I used to buy a 3 monthly pre payment certificate as it worked out cheaper. I hope the government do the right thing!
Over 85% of all prescriptions are obtained free of charge. The income from charges actually finances less than 1% of the costs of the NHS, and about 6% of the costs of those prescriptions. Prescription charges raise revenue of about �500m per year, about 40% of all income raised from NHS charges.
Whilst this might seem small compared to say�. a bank bail out loan, if the charges were abolished, they would be funded by other means, quite probably through additional and extra taxes on the working tax payer. The tax paying, prescription paying public, wouldn�t gain anything, but would likely pay more than they do now through PAYE.
R1s �28 per annum could be more like �400 or so, and for those not on regular prescription, it would be a larger premium.
Whilst this might seem small compared to say�. a bank bail out loan, if the charges were abolished, they would be funded by other means, quite probably through additional and extra taxes on the working tax payer. The tax paying, prescription paying public, wouldn�t gain anything, but would likely pay more than they do now through PAYE.
R1s �28 per annum could be more like �400 or so, and for those not on regular prescription, it would be a larger premium.
I just think it's so unfair that I pay gazillions of taxes as it is and still have to subsidise the sweaties, the taffs and all the work shy layabouts, if anyone should have it free it should be me! It also adds insult to injury when I know the pill I have is 100 years old and cost's a shilling a hundred weight and I have to pay �7.10, ok rant over!
No, not all those receiving free prescriptions are on benefits. I did say �some� not all.
A good point oldgit about State pensions being lumped under the heading �benefits�.
State pensioners who have made the necessary NI contributions (44/39 years, soon to be 30) receive a full State pension. Those contributing for fewer years have their pension reduced accordingly. Until you get to nil contributing years. Those people move seamlessly from a lifetime on benefits to the equivalent of a full State Pension (plus various additional benefits because of their poverty). Those �pensions� should not be included with the pension payments made to those who have contributed.
However, we digress. The real point of this question is whether people in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should receive prescriptions free of charge, whilst the majority of people in the UK (those in England) do not.
I cannot imagine how anyone can believe this to be fair.
A good point oldgit about State pensions being lumped under the heading �benefits�.
State pensioners who have made the necessary NI contributions (44/39 years, soon to be 30) receive a full State pension. Those contributing for fewer years have their pension reduced accordingly. Until you get to nil contributing years. Those people move seamlessly from a lifetime on benefits to the equivalent of a full State Pension (plus various additional benefits because of their poverty). Those �pensions� should not be included with the pension payments made to those who have contributed.
However, we digress. The real point of this question is whether people in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should receive prescriptions free of charge, whilst the majority of people in the UK (those in England) do not.
I cannot imagine how anyone can believe this to be fair.
-- answer removed --
New Judge
The real point of this question is whether people in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should receive prescriptions free of charge, whilst the majority of people in the UK (those in England) do not.
I cannot imagine how anyone can believe this to be fair.
Yes Judge I agree, this is the whole point of contention, it is not fair and will never be fair while we are supposed to be the United Kindom.
How do they get away with it, are the English so apathetic to care?
When the Pole Tax was introduced, the Scots were the first to complain since it was introduced there first. But in the end It led to serious rioting, and buildings at Trafalgar Square were set alight. It was abandoned because of popular resistance.
Obviously we should not go that far, but at least we should show them that England is fed up with being the poor relation.
The real point of this question is whether people in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should receive prescriptions free of charge, whilst the majority of people in the UK (those in England) do not.
I cannot imagine how anyone can believe this to be fair.
Yes Judge I agree, this is the whole point of contention, it is not fair and will never be fair while we are supposed to be the United Kindom.
How do they get away with it, are the English so apathetic to care?
When the Pole Tax was introduced, the Scots were the first to complain since it was introduced there first. But in the end It led to serious rioting, and buildings at Trafalgar Square were set alight. It was abandoned because of popular resistance.
Obviously we should not go that far, but at least we should show them that England is fed up with being the poor relation.
People in England (and indeed th rest of the UK) are apathetic.
So long as they have enough money for a few beers and a curry, and can raise a loan for a trip to Florida each year and a new Jeep every couple of years, they are not bothered.
The last two of these may prove a problem now, hence the dire predictions of "unrest".
So long as they have enough money for a few beers and a curry, and can raise a loan for a trip to Florida each year and a new Jeep every couple of years, they are not bothered.
The last two of these may prove a problem now, hence the dire predictions of "unrest".
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