Why does england pay for prescriptions

Is it a good idea? Your essential update Subscribe to our newsletters to keep up-to-date with the world of health and social care and hear the latest news and views from The King's Fund. Related content NHS funding: our position. Prescribing and prescriptions management This research paper on prescribing and prescription management was commissioned to inform the inquiry into the quality of general practice in England.

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You may also be interested in. Long read The politics of health: what do the public think about the NHS? As we head towards the general election, what are patient and public perceptions of the NHS? And have the public's views changed since the country last went to the ballot box? Medical exemption certificates are credit-card-size cards. They are issued if you have: cancer, including the effects of cancer or the effects of current or previous cancer treatment a permanent fistula for example, a laryngostomy, colostomy, ileostomy or some renal dialysis fistulas requiring continuous surgical dressing or an appliance a form of hypoadrenalism for example, Addison's disease for which specific substitution therapy is essential diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone hypoparathyroidism myasthenia gravis myxoedema hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone replacement epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive therapy a continuing physical disability that means you cannot go out without the help of another person temporary disabilities do not count, even if they last for several months Find out more about medical exemption certificates.

How to apply for a medical exemption certificate Ask your doctor for an FP92A form to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

If you do not receive a reminder, it's your responsibility to make sure it's renewed. Check if your exemption certificate is valid Free prescriptions for pregnant women If you're pregnant or have had a baby in the past 12 months, you get free prescriptions if you have a valid maternity exemption certificate. Maternity exemption certificates are credit-card-size cards. To apply for a maternity exemption certificate, contact your doctor, midwife or health visitor.

The certificate will last until 12 months after the expected date of birth of your baby. If your baby's born early, you can continue to use your certificate until it expires. If your baby is born late, you can apply for an extension. Free prescriptions if you have a low income. You can also get an HC1 form by calling The HC3 certificate shows how much you have to pay towards your health costs.

Money gathered from the charges, it argues, would best be spent on mental health services, social care, public health expenditure or hospital maintenance. Conveying the importance and benefit of the funds raised by prescription charges, The Kings Fund notes that the existing annual revenue is enough to buy one new hospital each year, or extend the provision of expensive medical equipment such as up-to-date scanners or radiotherapy machines.

It is argued that allocating funds raised from prescriptions to improve NHS services, potentially around public health, could potentially reduce prescription demand and costs, by means of earlier intervention and diagnosis.

The very premise of the charges continues to stir debate. The range of conditions exempt from charges has been frequently criticised. The listed exemptions, the report argued, took no account of income, meaning that affluent pensioners were exempt, while families dependent on state support were not. Existing prescription charges are also said to place an unjust burden on people living with long-term or chronic illness. Prescriptions for cancer treatments were not exempt until , following unyielding campaigns led by several organisations.

However, a growing drugs bill prompted the introduction of prescription charges in The Government then raised the charge to one shilling per item to accommodate this growing sum.

Three years later, it was raised again to two shillings per item. This caused the NHS drugs bill to soar, as many low-cost items that patients had previously bought for themselves were increasingly offered under prescription at the local pharmacy.

This led to the Labour government undertaking a U-Turn and reintroducing prescription charges in , and this time at the higher rate of two shillings and a sixpence per item. However, this time, prescription charges came with a range of exemptions for elderly people, those on benefits, and people with chronic diseases such as diabetes.