SCRAP Prescription Charges
The weblog of the Scottish Campaign to Remove All Prescription Charges. Keeping you updated on all the news about Colin Fox MSP's bill to the Scottish Parliament.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Writing on the Wall for Prescription Charges
You know how it goes, you wait ages for a boost and then three come along all at once. This week the Scottish Campaign to Remove All Prescription Charges [SCRAP] was boosted by a series of unconnected announcements across Britain.
On October 1st the Welsh Assembly cut the cost of prescriptions by a £1. This charge in Wales is now £5. In the rest of the UK it is £6.40. This reduction is part of a decision taken last year to abolish charges completely in Wales by 2007.
I immediately demanded that Jack McConnell ‘up his game’ and follow suit. Needless to say he didn’t. Incidentally most MSP’s attitude is to challenge him to ‘Up yours Jack.’
The second major development emerged from the Scottish Executive’s annual spending review unveiled at Holyrood this week.
Finance Minister Andy Kerr promised among other things to increase the NHS budget by £660 million. Taken with the £100 million u-turn by Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm over Glasgow’s Queen Mothers Hospital these announcements surely destroy the argument one and for all that we cannot find £40 million to abolish prescription charges. Equally it shows that providing money for one part of the NHS need not automatically come from another.
The trilogy of good news was completed when I received a letter from Malcolm Chisholm where, for the first time, he outlines the timetable and remit of the long awaited review of the charges promised by the Executive in it’s partnership agreement.
The two phase review will, according to Malcolm Chisholm, start with a 5 month long examination of ‘the prescription charging and exemption arrangements in comparable health systems and the effectiveness of different arrangements for publicising prescription charges exemptions’.
Phase two is a 3 month public consultation on the findings beginning in May 2005.
I welcome all these developments as positive contributions to the debate. Campaigners across Scotland should be heartened by these changes. I believe the case for complete abolition of the charges in Scotland is gaining significant support. The writing is on the wall for prescription charges. Numerous studies for example have already shown that charges in Britain are the highest in Europe. And other reports clearly highlight the link between charges and preventing access to medicines.
Meanwhile SCRAP will meet again on October 20th in the parliament to discuss the substantial progress which the Members Bill has made, its parliamentary timetable and plans a series of meetings around Scotland. We intend to take our case out to hospitals and communities everywhere.
If you are interested in joining the campaign contact SCRAP via its website www.scrapcharges.org.uk or via Colin Fox’s office in the Scottish Parliament 0131 348 6386.
COLIN FOX, MSP
