[B]The cost of NHS prescriptions in England will rise 25p to £7.65 from 1 April, the government has announced.[/B]
Charges for[B] basic dental treatment will rise 50p to £17.50, with rises of up to £5 for more complex work[/B].
The changes in charges were outlined by Health Minister Simon Burns and will be put before Parliament soon.
Doctors' leaders say [B]the current system is unfair and needs to be reformed[/B] in England.
This latest announcement means[B] NHS prescription charges increase again in England, while in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland charges have already been scrapped[/B].
But the cost of a prescription payment certificate (PPC), which is valid for three months, will remain at £29.10 and the price of an annual PPC will be held at £104.
Mr Burns said: "PPCs offer savings for those needing four or more items in three months or 14 or more items in one year."[B]
Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and fabric supports supplied by hospitals will also be increased.[/B]
[B]The value of vouchers for glasses for children, people on low incomes and those with complex sight problems will increase by 2.5% overall.[/B]
A BMA spokesperson said that the current system needs reforming.
"It's unfair for patients as [B]whether you pay depends not only on what part of the UK you live in, but also on what kind of condition you have[/B].
"The bureaucracy to administer the charging and exemption regime is also cumbersome and costly. [B]The BMA believes it would be best to abolish prescription charges in England altogether.[/B]"
The announcement also means an increase in charges for dental treatment.
The dental charge payable for a "band 1" course of treatment - examination, diagnosis and advice, includes X-rays, a scale and polish and planning for further work if necessary - will rise 50p to £17.50.
Band 2 charges, covering fillings, root canal treatment and extractions, will rise by £1 to £48.
For band 3 work, such as crowns, dentures and bridges, [B]the cost will increase by £5 to £209[/B].
"The exact amount raised will be dependent upon the level and type of primary care trusts and the proportion of charge-paying patients who attend dentists and the level of treatment they require."
[URL]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17139908[/URL]
wow that is a pretty steep price jump
sucks to be you guys :(
[QUOTE=Itachi_Crow;34835384]wow that is a pretty steep price jump
sucks to be you guys :([/QUOTE]
yeah man that extra 25p makes me really wish i didnt live in the uk
you ought to start a riot or something gosh
My problem isn't with the 25p, it's with this:
[quote]This latest announcement means NHS prescription charges increase again in England, while in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland charges have already been scrapped.[/quote]
[quote]For band 3 work, such as crowns, dentures and bridges, the cost will increase by £5 to £209.[/quote]
I can't find an appropriate picture/emoticon to deliver my reaction to this.
[QUOTE=SataniX;34835519]My problem isn't with the 25p, it's with this:[/QUOTE]
It makes you love the Union eh?
[QUOTE=SataniX;34835519]My problem isn't with the 25p, it's with this:[/QUOTE]
It's absolutely silly how you guys don't have a proper devolved government, especially when you consider your relatively massive population compared to ours.
[QUOTE=SataniX;34835519]My problem isn't with the 25p, it's with this:[/QUOTE]
yeah but in scotland they need that money for heroin and alcohol
This is misleading people:
"the cost will increase by £5 to £209" means it originally cost £204, it's not a massive jump.
Holy shit, I thought this meant [b]from[/b] £5 [b]to[/b] £209.
tbh I expected it to be at least £5 higher but 25p? That ain't enough to stop me buying my blood pressure pills :v:
No jokes about the British and bad teeth yet?
[QUOTE=SataniX;34835519]My problem isn't with the 25p, it's with this:[/QUOTE]
The money to cover the abolishment of the prescription charge was due to local tax rises in each country (If I remember correctly)
Also, take these figures into consideration:
Populations:
Scotland - 5.2 mil
Wales - 3 mil
Northern Ireland - 1.7 mil
England - 51 mil - 83% of the UK
The combined population of those three countries counts for roughly 1/5th of the population of England. The numbers are much larger.
[editline]23rd February 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;34837665]No jokes about the British and bad teeth yet?[/QUOTE]
Strangely I think mostly British people are in this thread. Gosh, shock that we don't apply stereotypes to ourselves, eh?
I wonder if buying rat poison from Homebase would work out cheaper than getting my warfarin on prescription from the NHS? :v:
[QUOTE=Camundongo;34837849]I wonder if buying rat poison from Homebase would work out cheaper than getting my warfarin on prescription from the NHS? :v:[/QUOTE]
Only one way to find out :v:
[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;34837665]No jokes about the British and bad teeth yet?[/QUOTE]
You're the only joke in this thread.
[QUOTE=Camundongo;34837849]I wonder if buying rat poison from Homebase would work out cheaper than getting my warfarin on prescription from the NHS? :v:[/QUOTE]
Hey, that might help with my insomnia too
I was always a late sleeper anyways
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
