North MSP calls for Prescription Charges for Cancer Patients to be abolished
01 April 2009
Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands Labour regional MSP is calling upon Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon to scrap prescription charges for cancer patients in Scotland and so provide them with the same benefit as cancer patients in England who, as from 1st. April, receive free prescriptions for their treatment.
Mrs. Grant said,
"One of the SNP’s major promises on health in their 2007 election manifesto was that they would abolish prescription charges for cancer patients in Scotland ‘immediately’.
"This promise was then broken soon after the election, and cancer patients in Scotland are still paying for their prescriptions.
"The introduction of free prescriptions will be beneficial to thousands of patients in England who are undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer or the effects of cancer treatment.
"Nicola Sturgeon must now ensure that cancer patients in Scotland receive the same benefit as cancer patients in England.
"She can belatedly honour the promise she made to them 2 years ago that their prescription charges then would be scrapped ‘immediately’.
"Unless she does so, cancer patients in Scotland will continue to pay for prescriptions until 2011."
Scottish Government statistics indicate that in NHS Orkney last year there were 1,073 prescriptions for cancer drugs
Mrs. Grant also highlighted the situation of the prescription charges paid by those with "chronic health conditions".
She said, "Similarly, these patients were promised by the SNP two years ago that their prescription charges would be abolished ‘immediately’.
"Today, like cancer patients, they are still paying prescription charges."
Mrs. Grant welcomed the reductions in the cost of prepayment certificates which will help patients with chronic health conditions.
She added,
"However, phasing out prescription charges by 2011 is a completely different matter from making promises to cancer patients and those with chronic health conditions that their prescription charges would be abolished ‘immediately’ two years ago and not keeping them."
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