Over 60s prescriptions

Totally against this and have signed. I have 4 prescriptions a month for a life long condition and l have just reached 60 (always paid)
What l do think is odd is my friend who has a Thyroid condition gets not only that medication free, but all medication for all prescriptions (ie ear infections etc) surely a fairer system would be to pay for prescriptions unrelated to those eligible for free prescription drugs?

Signed too

In England, it's the case that diabetics have to have their free prescriptions authorised by the GP and the patient has to have a medical exemption certificate. A few years ago, many people were caught out by this because they had just been ticking the box on their prescriptions and the pharmacists had been trusting the patients.

www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/life-with-diabetes/free-prescriptions

I have a friend in wales my age early 60's now + prescriptions have ALWAYS been FREE whatever age you are, but know changes coming in ENGLAND in a few months time (for think 63 years and under) got to start to pay for their prescriptions, but as I am diabetic my prescriptions will STILL be FREE (but apparently subject to you have to get a form signed by your doctor to get them still for free) and I've got 2 more years for my state pension when other female friends got theirs plus their bus passes at 60. NIGHTMARE. Dont know Scotlands rules myself.

HannahLoisLuke

If you’re diabetic like my ex you get all prescriptions free whatever your age. He even gets aspirin, paracetamol etc on prescription when they’re pence to buy. I agree that life saving insulin has to be free but everything?
There are many examples of money wasted in the NHS including paying armies of administrators to control this sort of thing. As long as that goes on they’ll try to claw money back from those who can least afford it.

Undoubtedly you're aware that diabetes is a condition which causes damage to many organs of the body, including the heart, liver, kidneys, eyes and nervous system. Diabetics are prone to neuropathy and infections can cause glucose levels to go haywire. Having diabetes means that infections often take longer to clear. Do you really think it's a waste of money to try and prevent diabetics from being affected by conditions which kill them?

"A decent pension, bus passes and prescriptions - in fact all 'benefits in kind' should be free to all, but paid out of taxation."

I agree with Doodledog about this. Mean-testing is divisive and expensive. DH and I have used our bus passes, (and hope to do so again after the pandemic subsides) not because we can't pay for our fares, but because of the convenience of not having to find out what the fare is in a strange place and then have the right change. As we are fortunate enough to have enough income to do so, we pay tax to help pay for the benefits we get, like our bus pass and free prescriptions. As we are in Scotland, we pay more tax than we would do in England, which is fine by us. If we didn't have the income, we wouldn't have to pay the tax.

This didn't go down well on Mumsnet!

If you’re diabetic like my ex you get all prescriptions free whatever your age. He even gets aspirin, paracetamol etc on prescription when they’re pence to buy. I agree that life saving insulin has to be free but everything?
There are many examples of money wasted in the NHS including paying armies of administrators to control this sort of thing. As long as that goes on they’ll try to claw money back from those who can least afford it.

If this gov't want to raise money they look to the poor people to fund it and leave the rich alone, I want a gov't who tax the rich properly and who close tax loopholes and collect tax from the wealthy, so I'll be voting Labour or LibDem next time

You are so right User7777….. we sleep walked our way to female pension age going up to 66….. I know because I was one of the women born between 1950-1960 caught in the trap…. my pocket was pinched to the tune of £13,000 approx. If they can get away with bus passes being issued with your pension they’ll get away with medication next. I’m over 70 now so relatively safe( maybe)…. but you ‘youngsters ‘ had better beware !

Yes they are free in Scotland thank goodness. I am a 50's lady and only just got my pension. I could not have fed myself if I had had to pay my prescription charges over the past few years! Thank goodness health is a devolved matter.

I was amazed to find, before I was 60, that I was eligible for free prescriptions because I was hypothyroid. That was about 25 years ago, and I am very grateful for my free prescriptions. I suspect that the Tories would like to change the starting age to 66 but are afraid of losing votes.

If a person is still of working age why not pay? Pre-pay systems are available to reduce costs if multiple items are dispensed.
The individual NHSs of England, Scotland and Wales work in very different ways and what one may fund the others don’t- but use the money (not a bottomless pot) differently according to perceived national need

We pay more income tax too. Sometimes significantly more, if we earn more.

because we are a separate country

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-51407239

Hear hear!!

i agree that in Scotland the equivalent of stamp duty is much higher than in England and so is the duty on alcohol- hence probably used to sub prescriptions. Wales also pays a higher sum on property transactions. I never understand why it is called the UNITED kingdom when we are not united on anything!

Oh for goodness sake, is nobody actually reading this thread before they post their nonsense?

Do you think the Barnett formula is just a lovely handout for the scrounging Scots?

Wisen up.

I am 64 and have no benefits as too young for a state pension. I have a very small private pension . I need long term medication .

It is unfair that in England - where the population is largest - we pay for many things that Scotland and Wales don’t. If you think about it we are paying for their freebies. It is called the Barnett formula and more people should be aware of this inequity. Prescriptions are just another example of this.

the petition was done last year. I and several other people posted links on this site . too late to protest now. There is no official statement as to the planned changes so keep an eye on the news

I think it will have to happen with the changes in pension age unfortunately. However those in receipt of benefits do not pay charges and the annual payment scheme limits overall cost of prescriptions to around £10 a month, so helps a lot if you're on multiple meds.

Gillycats

It’s high time these things were means tested, along with the heating allowance and the freedom bus passes. If people can afford to pay then so they should. Times have changed. We should be concentrating on the poorest in our society not subsidising the well off. And we in England certainly should have equal benefits as those living in Wales and Scotland.

So people who save for a decent old age should have to spend their savings on things that people who haven't get free?

I get so fed up with this way of looking at things. Why not tax everyone more fairly in the first place, so that higher earners pay more? If someone on a low income has saved a bit out of what they have left after tax and living expenses, why should they have it reduced further by means testing?

A decent pension, bus passes and prescriptions - in fact all 'benefits in kind' should be free to all, but paid out of taxation.

Right then.

Its really not discrimination, stop saying that. We have a budget to spend in Scotland. We have decided to spend it on providing prescriptions free to everyone. The English NHS would rather spend £37 billion on a useless Track and Trace, and that's their choice. So its not discrimination, because we run our own affairs here when it comes to health and you best get used to it. Becuase we're going to be running a lot more of our affairs in the future.

"Gillycats" thats not fair either because some of us have saved to have a comfortable pension so we wouldn't have to be claiming benefits, but if they keep pairing away at any small benefits we do get we wont have enough money left to maintain ourselves and will then have to claim benefit so its a vicious circle.

Its discrimination from England for everyone to pay for prescriptions when no one in Scotland or Wales pays anything for prescriptions no matter what their age. If someone is working then its only fair to ask them to pay. If they have a lot of medication they can purchase a Season Ticket which is very reasonable.

It needs to be made clear though if its starting at all whether people already retired at 60 would be paying and if people are only going to be charged if they reach 60 from whatever date the rule comes in or regardless of when they reached 60.