[karezza]

The cost of prescriptions in England will rise by 20p to £7.40 per item from 1 April.

Why do Scotch & Whales get their prescriptions for free?

[BB_Eye]

Because the NHS repeatedly and persistently shot itself in the foot during Nu Labour's time in power, driving up the cost of services by billions by creating 'public-private partnerships' with the notorious PFI schemes. As such, the money they would need in order to fund free prescriptions for all simply isn't there. :-/

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by karezza

The cost of prescriptions in England will rise by 20p to £7.40 per item from 1 April.

Why do Scotch & Whales get their prescriptions for free?

Oh to be a bottle of whiskey or a marine mammal then.

Dont forget there are no prescription charges in Northern Ireland either.

Something to do with the relative devolved governments having control over the budgets of the health service in their country.

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by karezza

The cost of prescriptions in England will rise by 20p to £7.40 per item from 1 April.

Why do Scotch & Whales get their prescriptions for free?

You missed N.I. what cute name do you have for them I wonder? I bet the English weren't moaning way back when the poll tax years ago was introduced in Scotland long before it hit England.

You'll find that the Scottish Parliament actually have a say in where they put funding. There is the theory that many people put off going to the doctors due to the high cost of prescribed medicines, thus conditions worsen and cost the NHS far more in the long run, than if they had been addressed earlier. Partly the reason is to encourage people to seek medical help sooner, rather than later, when treatment costs at that point are far higher to treat said illness.

Possibly the Scottish Government actually give more of a damn about the health of their countrymen than their English counterparts do....... just a thought.

[karezza]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

You missed N.I. what cute name do you have for them I wonder? I bet the English weren't moaning way back when the poll tax years ago was introduced in Scotland long before it hit England.

You'll find that the Scottish Parliament actually have a say in where they put funding. There is the theory that many people put off going to the doctors due to the high cost of prescribed medicines, thus conditions worsen and cost the NHS far more in the long run, than if they had been addressed earlier. Partly the reason is to encourage people to seek medical help sooner, rather than later, when treatment costs at that point are far higher to treat said illness.

Possibly the Scottish Government actually give more of a damn about the health of their countrymen than their English counterparts do....... just a thought.

I think the problem is that too much English taxpayers money is given to Welsh & Scottish parasites.

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by karezza

I think the problem is that too much English taxpayers money is given to Welsh & Scottish parasites.

What a lot of pish you talk. Really.

Let's ignore the fact that the money from North Sea Oil goes into UK coffers.... not Scotland's.

Look, it's not the Scots fault that our politician give a **** about the Scots people............ and divvy up the funds accordingly. Take it up with your English MP's that just love ripping the arse of their own countrymen and women.

[karezza]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

What a lot of pish you talk. Really.

Let's ignore the fact that the money from North Sea Oil goes into UK coffers.... not Scotland's.

Look, it's not the Scots fault that our politician give a **** about the Scots people............ and divvy up the funds accordingly. Take it up with your English MP's that just love ripping the arse of their own countrymen and women.

Have you been on the Iron Bru?

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by karezza

Have you been on the Iron Bru?

Can't even spell, but hey, who can blame you - you'd need to benefit from a good Scottish Education to benefit.

Hey... there's something else you can moan about. The Scottish 'free' University education system.

What else do we get free? I must have a think........ give you something to bleat on about.

[karezza]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

Can't even spell, but hey, who can blame you - you'd need to benefit from a good Scottish Education to benefit.

Hey... there's something else you can moan about. The Scottish 'free' University education system.

What else do we get free? I must have a think........ give you something to bleat on about.

You don't get anything for free - the English pay for it all.

[MTVN]

[ILoveTRW]

I hate this c(o)untry

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by karezza

You don't get anything for free - the English pay for it all.

Oh... I get my regular prescriptions free courtesy of the English taxpayer do I ??. I happen to pay that little thing called N.I. contributions every month as well as tax. That must just vaporise into thin air I guess then eh!!!

I think you'll find many Scots people contribute via PAYE to the economy - as well as spending their hard earned dosh on luxury items. But hey, don't let that stop you on your xenophobic rant. PMSL.

[karezza]

Prescription prices have risen in Albion while the Scots, Ulster & the Whales get their poisonous pharmaceuticals for free.

Unfair or what?

[Tom.]

I'm 21 and still tick the box that says student. They never say anything

[Smithy]

-doesn't pay for prescriptions-

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

...............Possibly the Scottish Government actually give more of a damn about the health of their countrymen than their English counterparts do....... just a thought.

I think it's more a case of Scotland getting more in handouts from Westminster per head of capita than the English do.

[letmein]

Originally Posted by BB_Eye

Because the NHS repeatedly and persistently shot itself in the foot during Nu Labour's time in power, driving up the cost of services by billions by creating 'public-private partnerships' with the notorious PFI schemes. As such, the money they would need in order to fund free prescriptions for all simply isn't there. :-/

Blaming Labour for everything is really getting old.

[Claymores]

Originally Posted by Livia

I think it's more a case of Scotland getting more in handouts from Westminster per head of capita than the English do.

Says she who happens to work for a Tory MP and who's local Tory Council was involved in even more scandal and she couldn't even disclose details after the Head of the party had to resign. Pathos.................have a think about banks being bailed-out and by the Labour Govt, and whether that benefitted the London/S.E. housing market a big much from collapsing and how much that cost us all per capita.

If we're being nippy about each other's countries, could I just say quietly "North Sea Oil" which revenues essentially floated your Thatcher/Major governments and was squandered on red braces/porsches/and overpriced houses for S.E. while oop North got pee all. Norway got widely rich by their share of it - the Tories just wasted ours (you could argue it was Scotland's oil but I'm quite happy to say Britain's)

I believe your thesis to be wrong. The apparent 'overspend' to Regions such as Scotland has to be understood in the context of indicators such as poverty/premature morbidity. Do you really wish a society where you are all in red braces and porsches in the S.E. where you live while other parts are eating dirt and shoeless?

I'd happily separate the 2 nations now. Engerland is an obviously right-wing country while Scotland is very obviously socialist. I never thought I'd become nationalist when a younger person, but I want the divorce right now.

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Livia

I think it's more a case of Scotland getting more in handouts from Westminster per head of capita than the English do.

Where do you think the money from the North Sea Oil goes......??? Oh, that's right..... into the UK coffers, not directly into Scotland's. I think you'll find that will more than cover anything the Scots get back.

Edit: just read Claymores' post. Great minds think alike.

The crucial point is: prescriptions are part of the NHS service....which fundmentally, is meant to be a 'free health service'. When you go into hospital - you are not charged for any medical care you require, neither are you charged for any medication given. Why then should you suddenly be liable to pay for continued medication because you are at home? Why should those in need of life saving medications for the remainder of their lives: have to pay for prescriptions?

Prescriptions (all) are part of the NHS Service. For anyone living in England - take your gripe up with your own Politicians....... If they want to fleece you - that's not Scotland, Ireland or Wales' problem - it's your problem - you deal with it.

[joeysteele]

I think £7.40 an item is really bad,a lot of things on a prescription can be bought for less than that.
What I find a compelling argument on this thread is the point made if you are in Hospital and need multiple medication, you are not charged for it, if that medication has to be carried on once out of Hospital then there is no legitimate reason why you should have to pay for that.
It should not be free at one source and not at another.

I think it's a very mean and wrong move to have put the charge up again,the Govts both Conservative and Labour are wrong on this one and it should be made free and brought into line with the rest of the UK and where is this court of Human Rights now not to be saying just that.

[joeysteele]

Done some political research today on prescription charges.
IN 1952 under the Conservatives the first charge for presciptions were set up.

In 1965 Labour abolished prescription charges.
Then in 1971 the Conservatives had charges at 20p an item, that stayed until 1979.
In 1980 Thatcher raised charges to 70p then again to £1 and then through the whole of the 1980s the Conservatives increased charges by 20p every year.
In the 1990s,the Conservatives raised the rate of increase of items on prescriptions to 25p every year.Thereby taking the cost of a prescription from 20p an item to something like £5 from 1979 to 1997.

In 1997 when Labour cam to power they reduced the rate of increase each year to 10p an item.

However in 2006, Labour handed the pricing of prescriptions over to the NHS Business Services who then were responsible for increases.
Therein maybe is the problem but the vast charges for prescriptions are still a legacy from the Thatcher/Major Conservatives governments of the 1980s and 1990s.Who set up increases per item every year in that time.

Time this tax on the sick was removed for good in line with the rest of the UK though.

[Pyramid*]

It's not only prescriptions:-

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1IXOlr1r2

The SNP claims that once North Sea oil revenues are taken into account, Scotland puts more money into the treasury than it gets back – with one study in 2008 estimating oil revenues would give Scotland a £4.4 budget surplus.

Critics of the Scottish state handouts say oil revenues belong to the entire country, not just Scotland.

I love the critics comments. Smacks very much of, "What's yours is ours. What's ours is our own".....

I note that the critics didn't say the SNP's statistics on the surplus were wrong, they simply comment that North Sea Oil revenues belonged to the entire country, not Scotland. Pfft. On a humourous note: I like the DM typo.......!!!!!! lol.

[BB_Eye]

Originally Posted by letmein

Blaming Labour for everything is really getting old.

Some cliches are true.

And I am by no means blaming Labour for everything. The Tories introduced PFI's, all I'm saying is that Labour turned it into a multi-billion pound business.

And you must have been living under a rock if you think Labour are blameless in the corporate management-consultant rape of the NHS. Labour were positively evangelical in their promotion of this toxic, bureaucratic environment which obsesses over targets at the expense of patients. For all the rises in NHS budgets that took place under the previous government, the rise in the employment of nurses and doctors has been negligable compared to the astronomical rise in admin and management positions. Meanwhile every whistleblower concerned for patients who are left to die will be putting their career in jeopardy.

However little you might like to hear it, it is Labour who are responsible for this culture of secrecy, bullying, overpaid senior staff and underhand PRIVATISATION in the NHS.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by letmein

Blaming Labour for everything is really getting old.

I agree, particularly on the NHS, it was on its knees in 1997 when the Conservatives left power, Labour massively invested in it and saved it,I have 5 family members who work in it, A Registrar and Nurses and all are really bewildered at the current plans.

Also the prescription charges are in the main the responsibility of the Conservatives.
I am 19 and I don't know a great deal on politics yet but I firmly believe the NHS is nothing like safe in the hands of this coalition Govt,not one bit safe.
The staff are again as my family tell me who work in it, getting really demoralised as they were in the 90s.

[Zippy]

Well over 90% of prescriptions in England are for free anyways with all the different exemptions so not many actually pay anything.

But on principal it stinks. The Scottish and Welsh can afford to be generous only because they have Westminster backing them up.