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Prescription charges cut to £5
01/04/2008
From today, hundreds of thousands of Scots will see the cost of their prescriptions reduced from £6.85 to £5.00, a cut of 25 per cent.
And people who suffer from chronic or long-term conditions and cancer will benefit from an immediate cut of 51 per cent in the cost of prescription pre-payment certificates (PPCs)
The cost of a PPC has been lowered from £98.70 to £48 for a 12-month period and from £35.85 to £17 for a four-month period.
As prescription charges go down in Scotland, Northern Ireland is freezing its charges and there is an increase in England to £7.10.
At a community pharmacy in Govan, Glasgow, today, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said:
"I am delighted to see the Scottish Government deliver on a key manifesto commitment, and take a major step in the phased abolition of prescription charges.
"The National Health Service is based on the principle that health services should be free at the point of use, no matter what the patient's income is.
"We believe that prescription charges are a tax on ill health and a barrier to good health for too many people.
"The reduced charges will mean that everyone who pays for prescriptions will pay less from today, making a significiant difference to literally hundreds of thousands of Scots.
"We want to support people living longer and health lives; and we intend to ensure that people have timely access to the health and social care services that they need.
"We plan to reduce charges again next year and in 2010, before abolishing them altogether in April 2011."
It is estimated that nearly two-third (63 per cent) of all paid-for prescriptions are for cancer and long-term conditions which include asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Psoriasis and heart disease.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said:
"More and more of us are living with long-term conditions and with the right support and medication, patients can go on to enjoy a good quality of life.
"However, the problem is that many people who are not exempt from charges simply cannot afford the right medication
"Today's move to substantially reduce the cost of PPCs is the simplest and most effective way of providing direction financial support to people with chronic conditions.
"While PPCs will be redudant from April 2011, I take this opportunity to encourage all people who have chronic conditions and need to use regular medication to use PPCs until then."