MARK ALCOCK - ADDS HIS WEIGHT TO PRESCRIPTION CHARGE CAMPAIGN

10.22.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 19th Aug 2009

Shadow MP for Oldham West & Royton including Chadderton, Mark Alcock has added his weight to a campaign run by a coalition of twenty organisations representing people with long-term conditions to scrap prescription charges for all people with long-term conditions without delay.

Mark Alcock is supporting the 'Prescription Promise' campaign, calling for the Government to end this unfair charge before the next General Election, which must happen by June 2010.

The Prime Minister promised at the Labour Party Conference last September to abolish prescription charges for people living with long-term conditions. One year on, 162 MPs have signed a parliamentary motion supporting the campaign and 1,450 members of the public in England have also signed a petition in support.

Mark Alcock says, "The Government is reviewing this issue, but in the meantime, large numbers of people with long-term conditions across Oldham Borough are struggling to afford their prescription charges and many are making a difficult and distressing choice not to take vital medication because of the cost.

"I am calling for an end to this unfair charge on people with long-term conditions as soon as possible."

Members of the public who would like to support the 'Prescription Promise' campaign can do so at the prescriptionpromise.org link at the bottom of this article.

162 MPs have signed up to EDM 566: FREE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR LONG-TERM CONDITIONS

"That this House is concerned that large numbers of people with long-term conditions are struggling to afford vital medication and that some are unable to pay; welcomes the commitment given by the Prime Minister in September 2008 to abolish prescription charges for people with cancer from April 2009 and for people with long-term conditions over the next few years; notes that the new Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme will deliver substantial savings to the NHS drugs budget; further welcomes the announcement that Professor Ian Gilmore will conduct a review to consider how to implement this policy; and supports the Campaign for Free Prescriptions for Long-term Conditions in urging the Government to abolish prescription charges for all people with all long-term conditions before the next General Election."

Exempting people with long-term conditions from prescription charges would directly improve drug compliance and health outcomes among those who are struggling to afford their medicines. It is therefore likely that the NHS would be able to treat long-term conditions more cost effectively as a result of prescription charge exemption, given the evidence that under-treatment of long-term conditions due to cost issues results in increased use of health services. People who struggle to afford prescription charges adopt a number of coping strategies, including not going to see their GP (to avoid the prescription), not getting the prescription dispensed, or prioritising amongst different items.

Related Link:

click here to sign the petition.