NHS prescription charge to rise by 10p in England and Scotland
NHS prescriptions charge to rise |
Charges for NHS prescriptions in England and Scotland are to rise by 10p to £6.40 on 1 April. Increases will also apply to prepayment certificates, which will rise to £33.40 for a four-month certificate and £91.80 for an annual certificate.
Prescription charges are expected to raise £462m for the NHS in
England in 2004–05. In Scotland, £46.3m was raised from prescription
charges in 2002–03.
Prescription charges in Wales have been frozen at £6 since 2000
and will be reduced to £5 in October and phased out altogether
by 2007.
Ann Lewis, Secretary and Registrar, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “Although
the Society is pleased that the Government has, once again, held the
increase below the current rate of inflation, there remain people on
low incomes who are not exempt from prescription charges and for whom
a prescription charge of £6.40 is not affordable.”
Miss Lewis said that the current charging system is at variance with
the Government’s stated policy of equal access for all to health
care services.
The increase was also condemned by the National Pharmaceutical Association. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal