AIBU - Should people 60+ be means tested & pay for prescriptions

[monopoly5]

Considering the NHS is so stretched as are lots of other public services should free prescriptions for the over 60s be means tested?

I agree that the NHS is mismanaged but there is still no money. The tax paying population is shrinking & wealth is increasingly held by the older generations.

Yes there is the argument that people have paid their taxes so are entitled but I don’t believe a 20 year old of today will have any state pension/NHS available to them.

In an ideal world the 1% would be taxed more but can’t see that happening. Don’t we all need to chip in?

In Scotland where prescriptions are free, the amount of people getting filling prescriptions has gone up.

I remember once as a student not filling my prescription as I could not afford it.

What is actually the reasoning behind charging for prescriptions? Surely we should just tax more so they are free? And tackle doctors prescribing unnecessarily. The whole ethos behind an NHS is so people are not penalised financially for being sick.

Considering I can't get my pension, free bus pass, heating allowance, free prescriptions till I'm 67 You would still get free prescriptions at 60 if you weren't already getting them free as a result of your medical condition. It's not linked to retirement age.

Yes I would prefer free prescriptions for everyone and tackling of over prescribing as well.

Many schools will only administer paracetamol ( which some children need on a regular basis) if it is in a prescribed bottle

if its prescribed for children it is free anyway isnt it?

It is free but some people complain about others getting prescriptions for paracetamol when it can be bought. Sometimes you have to get it on prescription.

Well, yes. I don't think parents should dictate whether teachers give their child paracetamol anyway unless it is for a serious medical reason, so it would be prescribed. If little Johnny has a sore throat he shouldn't be at school in teh first place.

Another thread

You can access the 30 hours in a pre school setting but have to pay for lunchtime care, food & nappies
So you think that, as a high rate tax payer the state should pay for your child's nappies and food as well as giving you free child care?

I'll bite. I'm 59 and soon I will get the 4 prescription drugs a month I need free. I am not a tax payer because my income is too low, although DH is a tax payer. We have never paid HRT. We never got free child care. I have two DC in university who are currently clocking up £50k+ of loans each and on top of that I have to subsidise them.
We own a house which is not in the SE so isn't going to be worth millions when we die.
Nevertheless I don't think we should get free prescriptions. Nor should anyone of any age who is not already on a means tested benefit.
I also think a small fee to see a GP is reasonable, except for those on means tested benefit.
The problem with increasing tax to cover all this is that the money would go into treasury coffers and not actually save the NHS money.
Charging for none medical costs such as meals and transport would save the NHS millions.
As would rationing treatment but where would that end? Moral judgements at A&E no IVF, no treatment for smokers and the obese, or drug addicts.....

The problem with increasing tax to cover all this is that the money would go into treasury coffers and not actually save the NHS money.

The problem with charging people for health care induced costs is that it is like privatisation through the back door. The NHS was set up to provide free healthcare to reduce financial burdens upon ill and disabled people. To make society fairer. To spread the cost of sickness across the population so that we help those in need.

Not trusting government to spend where they need to is a lame argument. How far does that go. If sectors within the NHS incur costs to the individual the government could easily decide the funding gained through this meant they could provide less funding.

If you don't trust the government, you might as well argue for a much reduced welfare state with private healthcare and education and less taxes altogether. However I think that would be very sad and leave a lot of people in dire need without much hope of overcoming hardship.

As would rationing treatment but where would that end? Moral judgements at A&E no IVF, no treatment for smokers and the obese, or drug addicts
.............add on charging for each child born, for each abortion, for sports injuries.........if fact the list could go on and on ..............until we have complete privatisation of the NHS.

So maybe not - let’s just fight to keep our NHS as the sign we are a civilised country that values the health and wellbeing of every UK citizen.

I would suggest that a standard fee is paid on booking a doctor's appointment (exempt for those currently exempt for prescriptions) and this covers the cost of a prescription/further appointment booked with hosptial/consultant etc. Given the huge % of wasted appointments I think this would work nicely in freeing up doctor availability, and be fair to all.

It's estimated 13 million doctor appontments and 6 million nurse practitioner appointments are missed each year, including misssed hospital appointments this costs the NHS over 1 billion a year.

Spikeyball this is stuff like lactulose which doesnt even need a prescription

Luckily the exhasperated pharmacist pointed out to me friend it was cheaper to buy though she wasnt happy why she kept being given it on prescription for adults.

That should be so not though

Ariela I have missed some hospital appointments. I didn't get the letter about them, only the letter telling me I had missed them. It is not an unusual experience from talking to others.

Spikey The Early Years Framework has been changed to make it clear that nurseries and schools do not need paracetamol and over-the-counter medicines in labelled prescription bottles, they should use the bottle/pack the medicine is bought in and can administer with signed authority from a parent/guardian. Sadly many of them clearly have not read it!

ClaudiaD Many CCGs have brought in guidance for GPs suggesting they do not accept orders from pharmacies but only from patients to stop the blatant profiteering that has been going on by certain pharmacies
Boots approach to Medicine Use Reviews is shameful but is the same in many of the chains unfortunately

Spikeyball apart from children who need a prescription for school and people who cannot leave the house and have nobody to collect medication on their behalf, what are the justifications for everyone getting paracetamol (and similar) on prescription? It costs the NHS 4x as much as it does over the counter. Pharmacies can sell more than 2 packets under a discretion, so while paracetamol can be more difficult than other medications, it’s not impossible. Medications like own brand anti-histamines and lactulose and not expensive. I am mobility impaired and require the maximum daily dose of paracetamol as well as other OTC meds, so I’m not without understanding and empathy but it’s a minority of people who actually need a prescription. I firmly believe that GPs should only prescribe OTC meds in cases where there is a very clear and justified clinical need. That’ll save money.

Yes most people can buy it but some cannot. It would help if pharmacies would sell the cheaper generic liquid paracetamol that you get on prescription because no pharmacy local to me will do that. Pharmacies may have discretion to do things but in my experience they won't do them.

Pharmacies won't use their discretion to regularly start selling people 100/200 paracetamol without seeing a prescription.

We should allow people to buy the medication on their prescription if it would be cheaper.

If you allow/encourage a GP to write a 3/6 month prescription for x amount dispensed monthly. I know a few people who'd happily pay if it meant avoiding the rigamaole of a monthly repeat prescription (the biggest surgery in town you can only request a repeat by putting a slip in the box or posting your request if you can't get in).

Liquid antihistamine is another thing that is very expensive in a branded version but the pharmacy will not sell you the generic version you are given on prescription.

Pharmacists cannot use discretion to sell 100 paracetamol as that amount is prescription only, it would be illegal.

Only 1 in 4 prescriptions is paid for - 75% of them go to stating the bleeding obvious those in exempt categories : minors, students, retirees, diabetics, welfare claimants and so forth.

Students aren’t exempt - as we found out when DS was ill when he was home from uni over Christmas.

No, over 60’s have paid enough into the system.

Although I fully agree that most people should buy their own paracetamol etc (we get asda liquid paracetamol for ds which is very cheap even at the amounts he goes through!) I think of someone is in the position where they are needing them prescribed in 100s then it is right it comes from a GP/consultant because if someone is requiring that many paracetamol, which let’s not forget isn’t as Safe a drug as many believe, then it should be being monitored by a medical professional.