Meanwhile - prescription charges

[Barry]

I can remember in previous decades the Tories justifying high prescription charges on the basis of the fact that 80% of the population were exempt. Which seems to suggest to me why bother at all? Why not exempt the other 20% and save a fortune in admin costs?

are going to have a system where some pay and some don't, it should be properly means tested so that only those who can easily afford it have to pay. But when 80% are exempt already, [highlight]why not just go the whole hog and abolish the damned charges altogether.[/highlight]

Exactly that. Repair the "free" NHS!

[Good old]

I simply can't believe that you would put that forward as an argument. If someone is working and getting paid why should they not pay for prescriptions if that is what they need? Just because retirement age has moved forward a bit in line with extended life expectancy why shouldn't it be paid for? It's not logical. I would agree that if someone is too ill to work then necessary treatment should be free.

Working is no fail safe from not being able to meet one's basic needs . If it was the welfare system would not being covering the rent of millions.

[Barry]

I simply can't believe that you would put that forward as an argument. If someone is working and getting paid why should they not pay for prescriptions if that is what they need? Just because retirement age has moved forward a bit in line with extended life expectancy why shouldn't it be paid for? It's not logical. I would agree that if someone is too ill to work then necessary treatment should be free.

This is on top of the clawback in state pensions, which  cost me 1 year and my wife 6 years, a total of £56,000 gone. She's going to be expected to pay for her prescriptions from what, exactly? Her £160 a month work pension. She has no other income.
It does seem you Tories have become the party of high taxation and you, in particular, are advocating grabbing more.

[srb7677]

But to the man and woman on the street, PFI is not the issue, it is that they are about to be robbed of 6 years free prescriptions. It will be more as the state pension age rises.

Some of us with certain conditions - in my case diabetes - are exempt from prescription charges so this does not affect me or others like me. But as someone in my 57th year this would be a serious annoyance were I not exempt. Anyone not exempt on medical grounds of a similar age to me must be extremely annoyed at this, especially if they still require regular meds for any reason.

When the other parts of the UK have managed to provide their people with free prescriptions, for England to be extending charges to previously exempt groups is unacceptable in my opinion. And I suspect this move has Sunak's fingerprints all over it.

I can remember in previous decades the Tories justifying high prescription charges on the basis of the fact that 80% of the population were exempt. Which seems to suggest to me why bother at all? Why not exempt the other 20% and save a fortune in admin costs?

Besides which the exemptions take very little account of means and are based instead on an ad hoc basis of age and medical conditions. Currently the over 60s are exempt regardless of how rich or poor. The under 16s (or it could be the under 18s) are exempt regardless of how rich or poor their parents are. Pregnant women are automatically exempt  too. As are a host of people with any number of long term health conditions like me.

Justifying such charges on the basis that only 20% pay them is no justification at all when that 20% includes some of the poorest people, and excludes large numbers of people much better off than they are. The fact is that I know of people far worse off than me who have to pay when I don't. In fact, were I to win the lottery and be worth millions, I would still be one of the ones who didn't have to pay. If we are going to have charges at all, this cannot be right.

If we are going to have a system where some pay and some don't, it should be properly means tested so that only those who can easily afford it have to pay. But when 80% are exempt already, why not just go the whole hog and aboloish the damned charges altogether.

[T00ts]

Wrong question.

The right question is why the people have continued to allow themselves be conned that the NHS is free when within weeks of its establishment it stopped being.

Sorry I don't understand.

[T00ts]

Can't refute my post, then.

I simply can't believe that you would put that forward as an argument. If someone is working and getting paid why should they not pay for prescriptions if that is what they need? Just because retirement age has moved forward a bit in line with extended life expectancy why shouldn't it be paid for? It's not logical. I would agree that if someone is too ill to work then necessary treatment should be free. 

[johnofgwent]

So what is the problem? People are living longer and most often healthier. The pension age was never meant to constitute a third of life living on the State. If someone is still able to work why should they not pay for their prescriptions like the rest of the workforce?

Wrong question.

The right question is why the people have continued to allow themselves be conned that the NHS is free when within weeks of its establishment it stopped being.

[Barry]

Oh come off it Barry. That's crazy.

Can't refute my post, then.

[T00ts]

Because that is an indirect taxation, taxing unwell people, who are vulnerable.

Oh come off it Barry. That's crazy.

[Barry]

So what is the problem? People are living longer and most often healthier. The pension age was never meant to constitute a third of life living on the State. If someone is still able to work why should they not pay for their prescriptions like the rest of the workforce?

Because that is an indirect taxation, taxing unwell people, who are vulnerable.

[T00ts]

But to the man and woman on the street, PFI is not the issue, it is that they are about to be robbed of 6 years free prescriptions. It will be more as the state pension age rises.

So what is the problem? People are living longer and most often healthier. The pension age was never meant to constitute a third of life living on the State. If someone is still able to work why should they not pay for their prescriptions like the rest of the workforce? 

[Good old]

But to the man and woman on the street, PFI is not the issue, it is that they are about to be robbed of 6 years free prescriptions. It will be more as the state pension age rises.

 I didn't put PFI in the frame. But agree, about the man on the street. The biggest problem being  ,that many might be able to afford , this. But many will not, and if it's is applied pretty much across the board, is only going to put real pressure on many that are already struggling with their illness.
At the same time the man coughing up £500-00 a month for the  BMW will feel hard done by if only he pays.

[Barry]

As we were talking about the NHS, it's their PFI that is of interest in this thread. But even if we talked about PFI in education, and the MOD , the picture Tory propaganda paints is inaccurate , as the published figures involve its use by Tory governments including the present one. The MOD , seem to be quiet happy with its use.

But to the man and woman on the street, PFI is not the issue, it is that they are about to be robbed of 6 years free prescriptions. It will be more as the state pension age rises. 

[Good old]

No it isn't PFI also covers schools' roads even government departments. One thing for sure fullfact has been also proved over the last few months full of cobblers as well. Even if we take your figures how many prescriptions is that?
Blairs and new Labours cons run deep.

As we were talking about the NHS, it's their PFI that is of interest in this thread. But even if we talked about PFI in education, and the MOD , the picture Tory propaganda paints is inaccurate , as the published figures involve its use by Tory governments including the present one. The MOD , seem to be quiet happy with its use. 

[Good old]

It was, as you know a rhetorical question. Parts of the NHS are still free. For instance, sex change operations.
However, opticians services and dentistry were the first to fall, then prescription charges were brought in.
We all know that free at the point of use means someone has paid, or will pay.
The thing is we had over a decade of Labour, the poor people's friend and they could have fixed it back to how it was. Fat chance.

And then got accused of more over spending for the next decade.