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Tuesday, 20 January 2009

Free prescriptions for all English patients soon too?

Judging by the latest announcement from the DoH, it looks like free prescriptions could slowly be creeping in via the backdoor in England. From today, thousands of cancer patients can start applying for free prescriptions, with that being extended at a later date to any patient with a long term health condition.

With the current charge being £7.10 a time for a prescription, English patients could save themselves up to £100 a year. We are of course exempt from such charges here in Wales and they are also being phased out in Scotland and Northern Ireland. So, as with the Smoking Ban, could England be the last UK nation to bite the bullet and see that charging people for prescriptions is merely a tax on the sick?

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