Rip Off England

01 Apr 2011

I couldn’t believe the news that Scotland has joined Wales and Northern Ireland in providing prescriptions free of charge. This means English patients will be forced to pay prescription charges - currently £7.40 per item - while effectively subsidising free drugs for those elsewhere in the UK. Forget Rip-off Britain, think Rip-off England.

This is the latest example of “medical apartheid”, where the devolved nations enjoy better health services despite paying far less tax per head.

FFS when you look at the list of who is exempt from paying for prescriptions, no the wonder they’re as expensive as they are, us poor suckers who are paying for them are also paying for everyone else. I don’t believe this is the way prescriptions should be funded. I believe that everyone irrespective of condition should contribute to their medicine even a nominal amount 50p or £1 something like that. That way the paying public should pay slightly less, after all I am paying for my care in the NHS (in taxes and national insurance) as well as prescription charges for the same treatment as someone who pays nothing - that’s unfair.

What the hell do we get instead I wondered? (as they claim Scotland et al have a pot of money and decided to provide this generous offer instead of something else, England decided to opt for something else but what the hell is it?).

But hang on it’s not only free prescriptions were talking about here. The Scottish people also receive free eye tests (compared to the English charge of around £19) and free “personal care” in old age, while English pensioners have to pay full residential care costs if they own assets of more than £23,000. To top it all, Scottish students pay no tuition fees; (English students have to pay to attend a Scottish university). Students born south of the border face paying up to £9,000 a year.

Yes it’s a big fat RIP-OFF ENGLAND!!