NHS crack down on Free Prescriptions (England only)

[Darcydog]

£millions lost each year due to people wrongly claiming free Rx’s !!!!

But only in England of course because in Wales and Scotland everyone gets free Rx’s.......

Anyone else thinking that whilst fraud is fraud and cannot possibility be condoned - why is it that those in England are going to be subject to breaking a law that only applies to their part of the “United” Kingdom?

[topman]

Because as you say its only an offence in England, you can't defraud the prescription charge. Although you knew that so I'm guessing you're getting at why we have prescription charges and Scotland and Wales doesn't? I don't know about NI.

Btw what's Rx's?

[macafee2]

Originally Posted by topman

Because as you say its only an offence in England, you can't defraud the prescription charge. Although you knew that so I'm guessing you're getting at why we have prescription charges and Scotland and Wales doesn't? I don't know about NI.

Btw what's Rx's?

valid question, why don't we have prescription charges in Scotland and wales?

if people should pay then pay!

macafee2

[topman]

Its a devolved issue so the assembly /parliament have decided to make them so.

They do pay, we all do. One way or another. 90% of prescription in England are free at the POS.

[Darcydog]

Originally Posted by topman

Its a devolved issue so the assembly /parliament have decided to make them so.

They do pay, we all do. One way or another. 90% of prescription in England are free at the POS.

I see it more of a tax issue. The four parts of the U.K. share the same income tax and NIC rates and yet despite that only one nation has a Rx charge.

Perhaps the devolved Nations can afford free Rx’s due to the fact that the Tax Spend per person was just 97.1% for England, 116.1% for Scotland, 110.1% for Wales and 121.0% for N.I. (Figs from 2015/16 - the latest available)

And YES!! 90% of Rx’s are freely dispensed in England - so that obviously means only 10% are paid for. So my question is this -

Why when Rx’s are free in three of the four Nations and a very small percentage of patients have to pay in England - are the authorities not simply scrapping the Rx charge totally so we have a level playing field across the entire U.K. ??

I applaud the Nations that have free Rx’s

I just don’t understand why someone on one side of a border would have to pay but if they lived over the border they would not.

I would rather an extra 1% put on NIC across the entire U.K. (say half a percent on employee and half a percent on employer) and have free Rx’s everywhere than yet another example of an NHS “post code lottery” - especially a “lottery” that potentially criminalises a person for getting something for free that would be theirs by right if they lived somewhere else in the same country.

[topman]

Originally Posted by Darcydog

So my question is this -

Why when Rx’s are free in three of the four Nations and a very small percentage of patients have to pay in England - are the authorities not simply scrapping the Rx charge totally so we have a level playing field across the entire U.K. ??

I applaud the Nations that have free Rx’s

I just don’t understand why someone on one side of a border would have to pay but if they lived over the border they would not.

I would rather an extra 1% put on NIC across the entire U.K. (say half a percent on employee and half a percent on employer) and have free Rx’s everywhere than yet another example of an NHS “post code lottery” - especially a “lottery” that potentially criminalises a person for getting something for free that would be there’s by right if they lived somewhere else in the same country.

The answer to your question is because of devolution. When you introduce another set of people they will naturally assume different priorities. And it's up to them now there's no way back apart from centralise it and wind back devolution, which isn't happening. So you'll always have a difference. If it's not this it'll be something else.


Edit. Crimes on one side but on the other side of the border are in other areas trespass, different limits on drink driving etc.

[stocktake]

Rx: A medical prescription. The symbol "Rx" is usually said to stand for the Latin word "recipe" meaning "to take." It is customarily part of the superscription (heading) of a prescription.
Definition of Rx - MedicineNet

[Dorset Bob]

Originally Posted by stocktake

Rx: A medical prescription. The symbol "Rx" is usually said to stand for the Latin word "recipe" meaning "to take." It is customarily part of the superscription (heading) of a prescription.
Definition of Rx - MedicineNet

And there's me thinking it was a Mazda, with a Wankel engine.........

[Groundsman Willie]

Originally Posted by Dorset Bob

And there's me thinking it was a Mazda, with a Wankel engine.........

You need to be on some kind of medication to take one of those on anyway.

[clf]

Originally Posted by topman

Because as you say its only an offence in England, you can't defraud the prescription charge. Although you knew that so I'm guessing you're getting at why we have prescription charges and Scotland and Wales doesn't? I don't know about NI.

Btw what's Rx's?

NI have free prescriptions. It was a matter as mentioned previously of the devolved government. For NI believe it or not, we have Sinn Fein to thank for them! (they are a socialist party though, so it makes sense). There were discussions for a reintroduction for charging for prescriptions though prior to the collapse of the NI Assembly (still collapsed!).

Interestingly, at the same time, there was also a voluntary suspension of clamping cars by the private companies, which was being considered at the time of the collapse. This has all lapsed now also, and clamping is back. But that is a different discussion.

I believe that when (or if) the assembly 'reassembles' free prescriptions will be back on the agenda very quickly though.