Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Prescription Charges: People Aged 60 or Over

06 March 2023 · 4 other contributors · 6,835 words

Opened by Tonia Antoniazzi Lab Gower

Responding minister: Neil O'Brien

EconomyBenefits & WelfareNHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Tonia Antoniazzi raised concerns about prescription charges: people aged 60 or over in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Tonia Antoniazzi raised concerns about the proposed prescription charges for people aged 60 and over, highlighting the rise in pensioner poverty since 2015.
  • The petition creator, Peter, expressed worry over the extra financial burdens on elderly individuals with multiple health conditions due to inflation and cost of living increases.
  • Antoniazzi urged the Government to scrap prescription charges for people with long-term conditions, citing potential savings for the NHS through reduced hospital admissions and GP visits.

Key requests to Government

Antoniazzi urges the Government to scrap prescription charges for people with long-term conditions in England, citing potential savings for the NHS through reduced hospital admissions and GP visits. She asks why the change is being prioritised now and what evidence there is that it will have positive impacts, noting that universal free prescriptions are maintained by other UK nations.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Tonia Antoniazzi Lab Gower

Tonia Antoniazzi is concerned about the impact of proposed prescription charges for people aged 60 and over. She highlights that pensioner poverty has been rising since 2015, leading to difficulties in accessing necessary medications. The petition creator, Peter, expressed concern over the extra financial burdens on those with multiple health conditions who are already struggling due to inflation and cost of living increases. Antoniazzi also mentions issues such as the outdated exemptions list for free prescriptions and the negative health outcomes caused by skipping or reducing medication doses.

Other contributors (4)
  • Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton

    He thanked the Petitions Committee for facilitating the debate and highlighted concerns about potential policy changes to NHS prescriptions. He mentioned that many constituents are worried about financial strain due to rising costs, noting a 30% increase in prescription charges since 2010. He cited statistics from surveys showing people rationing medications and not collecting prescriptions, which could result in health problems and additional NHS costs. He questioned the impact on those towards the lower end of income distribution and asked for steps to support them if changes are made. He is concerned about the tone of what the Minister communicated, suggesting that while there may be a change in prescription charges for pensioners, many eligible pensioners do not apply for pension credit due to fear of means testing. He asks what measures will be taken to prevent similar issues with prescriptions.

  • Margaret Ferrier SNP Rutherglen and Hamilton West

    Uprating the age when prescriptions become free in England to be in line with the state pension age would be harmful given the cost of living crisis and growing economic activity among those over 50, raising concerns about ease of access to medical treatment for the older generation. Prescription charges are attacks on the sick, with pharmacies reporting a significant increase in patients not collecting prescriptions due to affordability issues. This is particularly worrying for over-60s who are more prone to sickness and require medical aid.

  • Marion Fellows SNP West Dunbartonshire

    Ms Fellows highlighted that Scotland abolished prescription charges in 2011, providing free access to essential medications like insulin and cystic fibrosis drugs. She criticised the UK Government for not replicating this approach despite the benefits seen in Scotland, noting an increase in patients failing to collect their prescriptions due to financial constraints.

  • Taiwo Owatemi Lab Coventry North West

    As a cancer pharmacist, I have seen first-hand how free access to medication benefits those over 60. The Government's proposal will disproportionately affect individuals with long-term health conditions and push them towards urgent care, increasing healthcare costs and burden on the NHS.

Government Response

Neil O'Brien

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi) for opening the debate effectively on behalf of the Petitions Committee, and I thank all Members for their contributions. The Government has responded to a petition with over 46,000 signatures and received over 170,000 responses to the consultation on aligning the upper age exemption for prescription charges with the state pension age. No decision has been made yet due to the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, high energy prices, inflation, and cost of living pressures. The Government is spending £55 billion this winter to help households and businesses with their energy bills, including a typical household saving about £900 through the energy price guarantee and £400 through the energy bills support scheme. We are also investing £9.3 billion over five years on energy efficiency and clean heat, enabling us to do more on the cost of living, such as a £900 cost of living payment for 8 million poorer households and the largest ever increase to the national living wage helping 2 million workers. Prescription charges provide a valuable source of income for the NHS contributing £652 million in 2021-22. Charges have been around in the NHS for over 70 years, providing necessary funding for services amidst increasing demands due to an ageing population and more people with multiple health conditions. The petition calls on the Government to protect free NHS prescriptions for all over-60s while recognising the challenges of balancing cost of living pressures and ensuring best value for money in public spending post-pandemic.

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