GP refusing to give private prescription

[overun]

My husband visited the GP today and was prescribed 2 items. He explained how he was no longer allowed to give a private prescription as it was seen as defrauding the NHS! My husband pays a ridiculous amount of tax so why should he be penalised again? Anyone else had this happen?

Sorry if this has already been explained but a GP giving a private prescription for a treatment available on the NHS to a patient who is registered with them for NHS services would be in breach of their contract. They could get into some significant trouble with NHS England for it.

If you had access to a BNF and discovered real cost of medication available , you'd get a real shock just HOW expensive some are

Clearly the NHS have cracked down on this. At the end of the day your GP is not going to risk her/his career because your husband pays lots of tax and doesn't't visit often. Go private if you want a private script.

Of course people still choose to pay we are not all misers and realise we need to pay something into the system . I'm medically exempt from prescription charges due to 2 of my illnesses but I still buy lots of other things I use that I could easily get free on prescription i.e. Pain killers , creams etc

Maybe your husband will just have to switch to getting his Viagra privately then ;)

I'd say you have been lucky until now.

A GP paid by the NHS shouldn't be giving out private prescriptions. A GP in private practice is a different matter.

You have been lucky the GP hasn't charged you for the prescription.

Your dh's tax pays partially for the NHS, if he uses NHS services that are chargeable then he should pay the charges. Not paying the prescription charge is taking money out of the NHS.

I'm sorry I don't believe a private prescription is 12p.

All pharmacies will charge a dispensing fee of several pounds plus a mark-up on the drug cost and many have a minimum charge of the NHS fee to discourage people asking for private prescriptions for cheaper items. I worked in a high street multiple pharmacy years ago and the dispensing fee was £4 back then

thedoghasfleas not everyone on MN lives in England. The NHS Wales sticks to the 4 a month.

Not read the whole thread but OP until quite recently- maybe 12-18 months ago- what your DH asked for was 'allowed'.

Our retired GP ( retired about 5 yrs ago) was all for private prescriptions to save both the patient and the NHS money. For example, he'd give DH a private script for an item costing £2 so we didn't pay £8+.

The whole prescription cost issue needs rethinking. Over 60s get them free, regardless of income, when most over 60s are still working, some are very wealthy, the retirement age is now 66 or 67 for lost of us who are now 60+, and it's not exactly an incentive to stay healthy if drugs are free.

There has also been - quite rightly- a big hoo-haa about GPs and hospitals costing the NHS millions by prescribing paracetamol (and people getting it free of charge) when you can buy a packet for around 20p. Lots of things need sorting out which are more of an issue than the occasional private prescription.

Ivor that's not entirely true. (Cost of a private script at the pharmacy.)
I pay for my prescription from a private consultant. The NHS cost would be £8.60. The pharmacy has a right to charge me 1.5 times the retail cost of the drug plus- if they choose- a dispensing fee. The item ends up costing me about £1.50 more than the NHS prescription charge. I've never ever paid a £4 dispensing fee so suggest you are out of date.

No I wouldn’t take it. We pay one of the lowest rates for healthcare per capita as it is

I agree with polly

It does need reworking

And to be honest i dont have a problem with the fact he received them in the past...i have a problem with the whining now he doesnt get it and the 'he pays loads of tax' comment

Some interesting comments here.

The OP's DH has paid tax. He is entitled to an appt with his dr. Only 20% of people pay for their medicines. Many of those could afford to pay but are exempt for numerous reasons, many of which are nothing to do with their income. There is a blanket exemption for the over 60s and other groups in the population. The OP's DH is in effect already paying for the other 80% of people who get their medicines free. If he can save a bit for himself, why not?

Can't see anyone here suggesting that the people who are exempt should cough up if they can actually afford the NHS charge! many over 60s, and others could easily afford to pay. Maybe they ought to offer to???

Then let me be the first

I would prefer prescriptions to be means tested and everyone who can afford to pay should pay

My understanding is that that would be much too expensive to implement

Parents who aren't happy leaving a doctor's surgery without an antibiotics script for their children could pay?

I had the same conversation in my local pharmacy with another customer last week! She was asked if she paid and said, no, she was 59, but even when she was 60 she should pay. She also told me that some elderly neighbours had a cupboard full of medicines which they didn't use, but kept getting on repeat 'just in case ' they needed them.
We agreed that at the very least , prescriptions charges should apply to the retirement age (current) and pregnant women. It's a nonsense to make them free for these groups.

. Means testing would never work because it's more expensive to implement , which was the exact issue with child benefit . Therefore as with all little breaks that you get some you win , some you lose . I do think that they could raise the age of free prescriptions for all to at least 65/70 , and perhaps stop the free for all in Scotland etc unless they pay more tax than the rest of us .

The new ordering of repeat prescriptions i.e. You have to do it yourself rather than the chemist doing it for you is to try and cut down the amounts of unused medicines .

I think you might be the second, Rufus. [Grin]

I'll be the third. I do pay for some stuff for my asthma and excema that can be brought over the counter. I've also paid for some dental treatments.

Means testing wouldn't work. As a PP said, it would actually work out more expensive.

Dammit rafals

Im never first... couldn't i just have this one

You are the first to say that anybody that can afford pay to should and that it should be means tested.

I think floral and I were both saying that we're exempt but choose to pay for some things we could get free.

Oh sorry rafal

Im exempt as well

I generally dont pay for my actual medication but have been known to pay for other stuff that i could get free

I would feel a bit if a tit asking for some of the stuff ive heard of

I dont get free dental

Which is a shame because i think i might need a crown soon

Still plenty of time to save