Society presents evidence at inquiry into NHS charges in England
Rob Darracott: difficult issue |
Abolition of NHS prescription charges in Wales next year could influence what happens to the system in England, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society predicted this week.
Rob Darracott, director of corporate and strategic development at the
Society, said that what happens in Wales would provide some clues as
to what might happen in England were that system to be followed.
His comments came ahead of the meeting of the House of Commons Health
Committee on 2 February where he was due to give evidence to its inquiry
into NHS charges, which includes prescription charges.
Mr Darracott welcomed the inquiry because reviewing charges, particularly
prescription charges “has always been considered to be one of those
things which is so difficult that nobody wants to go there. I also think
it is interesting that the Health Committee has raised the subject in
the first year of the new government. I think it has done that because
the issue is so difficult.” The Society is one of 10 organisations,
including the British Medical Association, the King’s Fund and
patient charities, which were due to give evidence to the committee
at
its resumed inquiry this week.
The inquiry in England comes a year before prescription charges in Wales
are due to
be abolished following an earlier decision by the Welsh Assembly
(PJ, 1 November 2003, p606).
Elsewhere in the UK, the Scottish Parliament has just launched an overhaul
of exemptions of prescription charges, following the failure of a private
member’s bill that would have meant Scotland
following Wales’s
lead and abolishing charges.
In Northern Ireland a spokeswoman for the department of health, social
services and public safety confirmed it had no plans to change the current
NHS charging system. She said: “We have been following the normal
increases in prescription charges in line with the Department of Health
in England. We have no plans to follow the Welsh proposal.”
News feature p128 |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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