Prescription Charges 

Socialist Health Association (Scotland) backs Colin Fox MSP’s Bill on abolition of Prescription Charges.

Socialist Health Association previously known as Socialist Medical Association was responsible for demanding the formation of the National Health Service  in 1930. The Labour government finally established the NHS in 1948. Nye Bevan was against the imposition of any charges. Abolition of Prescription Charges has been our policy for a long time. After the change of government in 1951 it was the Conservative government which decided to introduce prescription charges. The first charge was introduced in 1952 as 5 pence per prescription. Later the Tories in 1956 changed the charge from each prescription to charging per item. In 1961 the then Tory government increased the charge to 10 p per item.  

It was to the Labour government’s credit that the prescription charge was abolished in 1965. But the new Labour government in 1968 re-introduced it at 12.5 p. During the first 25 years of the NHS the prescription charge rose to 25 pence per item. However, during the next 25 years it rose by a staggering 350% to nearly £6.00. Now it is £6.30 per item.                   

The Wales Labour administration has already decided to abolish all prescription charges.  

If the Scottish Parliament passes Colin Fox MSP’s Bill  it would cost the NHS Scotland a mere £46 million a year. This has to be in the context of £6.5 billion that we spend on health in Scotland. Incidentally, the drug bill amounted to £733 million in 2001/2. The prescription charge raises some 6% of the total drugs bill. This can easily be accommodated in the NHS Scotland expenditure. Readers of the Scottish Newspapers would recall there was an under spend of £144 million last year in the NHS Scotland.  

It makes more sense to abolish this charge and help those on low-income and also the chronically sick who otherwise go without buying much needed medicines prescribed by their general practitioners. It would be a good gesture when we are celebrating the 56th anniversary of the NHS in July this year to pass this Bill and abolish this charge. 

Ali Syed

Chairperson.

SHA Scotland.

38, Campsie Drive, Bearsden. Glasgow. G61 3HX

Tel.No 0141 942 8804