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HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

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SwissPaul
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HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#436912

Postby SwissPaul » August 23rd, 2021, 7:21 pm

Get your responses in quick
The government is consulting on aligning the upper age exemption for NHS prescription charges with the State Pension age (SPA). In 2019, around £600 million was generated in revenue from prescription charges for frontline NHS services. Currently, people receive free prescriptions when they turn 60 in England, whereas the SPA is now 66.

The consultation is seeking views from the public and healthcare professionals on options for change including building in a period of protection so those aged between 60 to 65 can continue to benefit from free prescriptions if the upper age exemption rises.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... ension-age

Spet0789
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#436926

Postby Spet0789 » August 23rd, 2021, 8:45 pm

Thanks. I have replied.

Noting that there are a number of medical and economic criteria which already qualify the user for free prescription charges, I strongly support this.

Basically working age adults who are generally healthy and can afford to pay for prescription charges (which are pretty minimal in the context of the overall cost of drugs) should pay for them.

Personally, I’d go further and remove old age as a factor altogether. Not clear to me why Alan Sugar and Richard Branson get free prescriptions.

CliffEdge
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#436957

Postby CliffEdge » August 24th, 2021, 1:12 am

Spet one day you will be old.

Stompa
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437027

Postby Stompa » August 24th, 2021, 10:53 am

I've always found it rather surprising that around 90% of prescriptions in England are dispensed free of charge.

pje16
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437031

Postby pje16 » August 24th, 2021, 11:02 am

ReallyVeryFoolish wrote:Absolutely outrageous. The English tax payer foots the bill for all Scottish and Welsh prescriptions already.
RVF

That has always bugged me, why are they not free in England as well :roll:
(guess the answer is the size of the population)

tjh290633
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437038

Postby tjh290633 » August 24th, 2021, 11:17 am

Stompa wrote:I've always found it rather surprising that around 90% of prescriptions in England are dispensed free of charge.

Not surprising if you consider the medication which our GPs prescribed for the ageing sector of the population, who get free prescriptions. There are 10 items on my prescription list, probably each counting as one prescription. Some monthly, some bi-monthly and one tri-monthly. In my younger days it was rare to be prescribed anything.

TJH

Spet0789
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437042

Postby Spet0789 » August 24th, 2021, 11:24 am

CliffEdge wrote:Spet one day you will be old.


But hopefully still not asking less wealthy fellow citizens to support me.

pje16
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437046

Postby pje16 » August 24th, 2021, 11:29 am

see if you think the same when you have 10 prescription costing you £100 per month

digitaria
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437047

Postby digitaria » August 24th, 2021, 11:40 am

ReallyVeryFoolish wrote:Absolutely outrageous. The English tax payer foots the bill for all Scottish and Welsh prescriptions already.


Northern Irish prescriptions also!

vrdiver
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437051

Postby vrdiver » August 24th, 2021, 11:46 am

pje16 wrote:see if you think the same when you have 10 prescription costing you £100 per month

Really?

How about a more realistic £108.10 for 12 months...

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/prescription-prepayment-certificates-ppcs

VRD

pje16
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437065

Postby pje16 » August 24th, 2021, 12:38 pm

Whoops it's years since I had season ticket - sorry - forgot about that

AWOL
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437113

Postby AWOL » August 24th, 2021, 4:02 pm

ReallyVeryFoolish wrote:Absolutely outrageous. The English tax payer foots the bill for all Scottish and Welsh prescriptions already.

RVF


Quite a dramatic exaggeration of the Barnett formula and the difference in spending for different areas of the UK is necessary to account for the differences in cost of delivery in geographically remote locations (e.g. Scottish Highlands and Islands) or more socially deprived areas (e.g. Northern Ireland). It is in effect the cost of having a United Kingdom. Per Capita government spending equality across the UK would deliver less in remote areas and fail to address poverty in poor areas.

There is nothing stopping the English electing MPs that will decide that it is wasteful to spend money administering the system of prescription payments and exemptions and it's consequent abuse. It makes sense for the state to pay for the medicine and cut down on the bureaucratic complexity. While they are at it they should end the ludicrous distinction between dentistry and general practice. NHS Dentistry is another bureaucratic vestige, all current NHS treatments should be paid for by the taxpayer.

One problem with the current system of opt in exemptions is that many of those who most need them are most reluctant to claim them.

MrFoolish
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437153

Postby MrFoolish » August 24th, 2021, 6:19 pm

SwissPaul wrote:Get your responses in quick
The government is consulting on aligning the upper age exemption for NHS prescription charges with the State Pension age (SPA). In 2019, around £600 million was generated in revenue from prescription charges for frontline NHS services. Currently, people receive free prescriptions when they turn 60 in England, whereas the SPA is now 66.

The consultation is seeking views from the public and healthcare professionals on options for change including building in a period of protection so those aged between 60 to 65 can continue to benefit from free prescriptions if the upper age exemption rises.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... ension-age


I strongly disagree with this change. It's yet another example of the boomer generation taking a benefit then pulling up the drawbridge.

Spet0789
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437167

Postby Spet0789 » August 24th, 2021, 7:07 pm

vrdiver wrote:
pje16 wrote:see if you think the same when you have 10 prescription costing you £100 per month

Really?

How about a more realistic £108.10 for 12 months...

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/prescription-prepayment-certificates-ppcs

VRD


I’m sure my principle that I will take care of myself and mine, looking to my fellow taxpayers only for a safety net and not a feather bed can survive having to pay 30p a day.

AWOL
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437212

Postby AWOL » August 24th, 2021, 10:43 pm

Spet0789 wrote:
vrdiver wrote:
pje16 wrote:see if you think the same when you have 10 prescription costing you £100 per month

Really?

How about a more realistic £108.10 for 12 months...

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/prescription-prepayment-certificates-ppcs

VRD


I’m sure my principle that I will take care of myself and mine, looking to my fellow taxpayers only for a safety net and not a feather bed can survive having to pay 30p a day.


I think we need to ask ourselves if the administration of these schemes adds value or are we really just overly complicating the simple truth which is that people should get the medicine they require (clearly rationed based on efficacy/qualified life years as in the end resource is finite) and it should be accessible including for those who have intellectual impairment's, memory problems, chaotic lifestyles etc.

Our national attitudes remind me of Americans when they try and convince me that their system of private healthcare is better than socialised, regardless of the data on outcomes, life expectancy, cost per capita, etc. Similarly we defend the status quo and take masochistic pleasure in paying our way when the reality is we should all be in it together when it comes to health and whether we pay at the point of use or through government taxation, money printing, or borrowing is really not that important financially, it's the accessibility and outcomes that are important.

Lootman
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437222

Postby Lootman » August 24th, 2021, 11:29 pm

Spet0789 wrote: Not clear to me why Alan Sugar and Richard Branson get free prescriptions.

Because it is not worth performing means testing for items of small value.

Same reason I get a £200 winter fuel allowance and a £10 pensioner Christmas bonus. It is too much faff and expense for the government; easier to just give them to everyone. And whilst I do not need the money, I like to think that everyone should derive some state benefit, just like everyone should help pay for them.

Spet0789
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437236

Postby Spet0789 » August 25th, 2021, 7:20 am

Lootman wrote:
Spet0789 wrote: Not clear to me why Alan Sugar and Richard Branson get free prescriptions.

Because it is not worth performing means testing for items of small value.

Same reason I get a £200 winter fuel allowance and a £10 pensioner Christmas bonus. It is too much faff and expense for the government; easier to just give them to everyone. And whilst I do not need the money, I like to think that everyone should derive some state benefit, just like everyone should help pay for them.


No need to means test. If you don’t get the low income pension top up (whatever it is called), you don’t need these freebies either.

tjh290633
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437252

Postby tjh290633 » August 25th, 2021, 9:23 am

Lootman wrote:
Spet0789 wrote: Not clear to me why Alan Sugar and Richard Branson get free prescriptions.

Because it is not worth performing means testing for items of small value.

Same reason I get a £200 winter fuel allowance and a £10 pensioner Christmas bonus. It is too much faff and expense for the government; easier to just give them to everyone. And whilst I do not need the money, I like to think that everyone should derive some state benefit, just like everyone should help pay for them.

All they have to do is make those allowances taxable. Why they are tax free is a throwback. How many people now buy their winter coal supply in one go? Oil, maybe.

TJH

Spet0789
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437260

Postby Spet0789 » August 25th, 2021, 10:02 am

AWOL wrote:
Spet0789 wrote:
vrdiver wrote:Really?

How about a more realistic £108.10 for 12 months...

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/prescription-prepayment-certificates-ppcs

VRD


I’m sure my principle that I will take care of myself and mine, looking to my fellow taxpayers only for a safety net and not a feather bed can survive having to pay 30p a day.


I think we need to ask ourselves if the administration of these schemes adds value or are we really just overly complicating the simple truth which is that people should get the medicine they require (clearly rationed based on efficacy/qualified life years as in the end resource is finite) and it should be accessible including for those who have intellectual impairment's, memory problems, chaotic lifestyles etc.

Our national attitudes remind me of Americans when they try and convince me that their system of private healthcare is better than socialised, regardless of the data on outcomes, life expectancy, cost per capita, etc. Similarly we defend the status quo and take masochistic pleasure in paying our way when the reality is we should all be in it together when it comes to health and whether we pay at the point of use or through government taxation, money printing, or borrowing is really not that important financially, it's the accessibility and outcomes that are important.


Your “simple truth” is another person’s “socialist dogma”!

Is it appropriate that unelected functionaries ration access to healthcare based on their own views and prejudices?

For what it’s worth, if presented with a binary choice between our system and the US system I would choose ours every time (although personally I would be far better off under the US system). But that’s absolutely not the choice. France, Germany and Singapore, among others, all have healthcare systems from which the U.K. can learn.

One of the bad outcomes of the pandemic has been the further elevation of the NHS to the untouchable status of a national religion. The practitioners within it have my respect and thanks. The system itself has neither.

CliffEdge
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Re: HEADS UP - POSSIBLE CHANGES TO PRESCRIPTIONS

#437261

Postby CliffEdge » August 25th, 2021, 10:03 am

Fortunately many young people I know do seem to care about the elderly, unlike young people on here who seem to resent older people being looked after.

Maybe young people on here brought themselves up, educated and fed themselves? Maybe older people never had any part in their lives after they were born and existed for a while as children. Perhaps they were born walking and talking, immediately able to read and write, earn money through their intrinsic knowledge so never needed education. Never fell ill so never needed vaccinations or medical treatment.

Maybe they are immortal so will never grow old after a lifetime of their undoubtedly invaluable contributions to society.

Maybe older people should just die and make way for the next step in human evolution which we are fortunate enough to be able to learn from on here and social media.

?


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