Helping the government save money

I think the arguments on the thread fail to see the wood for the trees.

I need levothyroxine and have done for more than 30 years. I'm also now over 60, as is DH, and all prescriptions are free regardless. DH has none. I have Levo and Adcal D3.

35 years ago I got 365 levo and an annual blood test. Now, thanks to 28/56 day prescribing I have to have 6 prescriptions per year for each item. Each item is as cheap as chips and costs more for the GP to review every two months and the pharmacy to dispense, notwithstanding the waste of my time. Nobody questions the time wasted compared to the cost of the meds.

The fact that I have significant means is not the true point although I fail to fully understand why I have had all prescriptions free since 1990.

DH, at 64 and still working full-time and with a considerable income, is a separate matter.

Universal free school meals is another issue. When our dc were at school the paid for meals were of execrable quality and ours had a packed lunch which cost us more for the sake of better food. Once things are free, or free at the point of delivery, it makes complaint about poor standards very difficult.

The 16 hour rules around working and benefits. If there is work available and childcare is not an issue, nobody should be allowed to decline additional work to preserve benefits, but nobody should be better off claiming than working, ever. If there are local public sector or allied public sector vacancies, those who are working age and fit to work, should have to work.

I think the opposite. Free prescriptions for all might save money in the long run, removes barriers to treating medical issues reducing hospital admissions or conditions deteriorating to the point benefits are needed

Getting snotty about prescriptions when in Scotland and Wales everyone gets them free 🙄

Getting rid of the child benefit loophole where my in laws both earning £59k a year each, therefore meaning they can claim full CB but the rules are different for one person earning 60k plus. What bullshit.

HS2. Nuff said.

Ditch all the HOC bars and give them tap water and make them take a sandwich.

Well she pays enough in tax - deserves the prescription imo. I wonder if she worked so hard that she neglected her health. This often happens.

I think the availability of more GPs appointments and diagnostics tests will save government money as problems will be caught earlier before they require more resources to deal with them .

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Maybe look at the government officials and politicians expenses? Second and third home taxes? People who dont pay their fair share like large multi nationals and make them pay?

To answer the actual question (about saving money) I'd like to see prescription waste tackled.

I'm on a few medications for an autoimmune condition and have had numerous experiences over the years with being unable to get my prescriptions updated correctly in a timely fashion resulting in surplus medication. For example in order to get one medication I had to accept 3 months worth of an incorrect dosage of the other medication because the consultant letter hadn't reached the online pharmacy who dispensed my medication.

I knew it was going to be an issue so I called pharmacy, they didnt have the consultant letter but I had it in my patient portal and offered to send it over which they refused. I also chased my team for the letter, made several calls over several days but in the end due to running low on one medication I had to just accept the prescription as it stood, knowing I was going to waste 3 months of medication as they wouldn't let me "just" order one and wait for the new script to arrive for the second medication.

There was also another time my hospital switched providers and I was sent a duplicate order. I had 10 weeks supply and they sent me another 3 months. As soon as I realised I was being sent a fulll script so early I called to try and postpone the order from the new pharmacy / supplier but again "computer said no" and I ended up with a huge backlog of medication and of course ended up having a dosage change before I made a dent in it.

I'm on quite a few support groups for my condition and this is a country wide issue thay happens in numerous trusts.

TLDR a good way to save money is to allow more autonomy with patients on long term medical conditions to manage their own supplies.

FWIW my hospital accept my surplus medication, which is a sealed and prefilled one use injection, as they use it for training new patients to inject and they even supply in emergencies (for example if someone comes into clinic and the consultant changes dose, the clinic have a supply and they can provide an interim amount of prefilled injection pens whilst the new script it being sorted).

Stop the Department for Transport (I.e. the taxpayer) from funding the delay repay scheme when train companies should pay it. Thats not a criticism of the government BTW, its a criticism of train companies not taking responsibility.

OP has obviously got a bee in her bonnet about this well off acquaintance and her prescriptions so won't be interested in any other ways to save money

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If you say so.
Enjoy your welfare state while it lasts then.

I would start by closing tax loopholes to prevent tax avoidance.
Cap private rents to 10% above the cost of mortgage + maintenance
extra taxes on Airbnb income, and empty homes

I would use the extra money to build more social housing and invest in social and health care.

I pay for a pre payment prescription so at most she has saved about £114 for the year.

We shouldn’t punish ill people so I would like to see better prescribing to avoid wasted medication which I suspect costs a lot more.

I agree.

Wiithout people who have a lot of money there would be no ‘freebies’, stopping rich people having some medication free isn’t going to make a dent in the problem, let alone solve it.

Or let's turn it on it's head. You can only have services and treatment up to the amount you contribute in tax.

So this lady would be allowed around £76k in services and treatment on the NHS for the year. Once you hit your contribution level you have to pay for your services and treatment.

Seeing as most of us don't contribute in the system as much as we take out this will save loads of money. Some of us will barely get our bins emptied.