The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7193 p487-492
13 April 2002

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Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales (www.achcew.org.uk)

Call to reform unfair NHS charges

Prescription charges should be significantly reduced, and other National Health Service charges reformed, because they form a confusing mishmash of taxes on illness, says the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales.

The association, which is the statutory public voice in the NHS and which the Government hopes to abolish along with community health councils through the NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill, says that the regulations that govern NHS charges are complex and difficult for patients and the public to understand.

"All too often patients are unsure how their charges are calculated or why they are being charged," said Marion Chester, legal officer at ACHCEW and author of a report on charges.

"There are major inconsistencies right across the system, ranging from widespread variation in the interpretation of the rules, to the exemption of some illnesses but not others. We would like to see NHS charges got rid of altogether as the evidence shows that they decrease uptake of necessary treatments. If we can't get rid of charging in the NHS we can at least attempt to make it both transparent and fair."

The report urges the Government to abolish charges for eye tests and dental check-ups, to reduce prescription charges significantly and to redesign exemption criteria and voucher schemes to reduce the hardship felt by those on long-term medication.

Peter Walsh, director of ACHCEW, commented: "In an ideal world, we would like to see an end to all charging for NHS treatment. At the very least, patients must be able to expect a more consistent, fair and transparent system ... We expect that this will be a cause around which there will be a broad coalition of organisations representing patients' and consumers' interests."

"A tax on illness" is available from Estelle Kiss (tel 020 7609 8405) at ACHCEW, price £7.50.