Payment for prescriptions

Glad you are getting help whiff.

wwm2, hope you feel better soon. Covid seems to knock people's resistance.

Get well soon Whitewave.
Whiff

I have stayed several times in hospitals and clinics here in France, unfortunately not the posh ones, and the food seems to get worse every time, bland and warm. There were a couple of choices for the starter, main and dessert, all at the same price to be chosen a day in advance.
I was charged for the three meals a day even though I didn’t eat it or not present at the time because I was in theatre.

I object to paying for prescriptions at my age when everyone in Scotland gets them free.

Doodledog

*If you have a State pension and in Hospital for more that 4 weeks you are supposed to declare it, as you not "entitled" to it. How many do that?*
I don't have a state pension yet, but I didn't know you were supposed to declare it if you are in hospital. Probably a lot of people are also unaware of that. I suppose there is a certain logic in that the State is 'keeping you' when you are in hospital; but how do people pay the rent or other commitments if their income is stopped - outgoings are not restricted to food and/or other things that would be covered in a hospital stay.

And if there's a partner still at home, all the bills don't magically halve just because one of the pair is in hospital.

I'm sure that if I paid a tenner for an overnight stay I would be expecting decent food, my son has frequent admissions and never eats anything, I take it all in for him.

NoddingGanGan

I object to paying for prescriptions at my age when everyone in Scotland gets them free.

You can always vote in a government that wants to spend its money on the things you want then. That's what we've done in Scotland.

Or would you rather make everybody's life worse because you don't have something that they do?

I totally agree with baggytrazzers there have been times when I would have struggled to pay this and the extra bus fare/petrol for people to visit
Do we have any figures that show how much money would be saved, and including how much the administration would cost including the means testing, collecting money, etc? And would it be decided and paid for before the person went into hospital, during their stay, or the bill sent after they were discharged? Then passed to debt collectors if unpaid? If people don't pay are they not allowed to be admitted to hospital again until they do? It doesn't really sound feasible to me. Back to the old days when folk died because they couldn't afford to ask for medical support.

Do we have full details of how the German system works?

I don't agree that people over 60 should pay for NHS prescriptions -these should be free to everyone in the UK

I could well cost more to administer (staff, offices, systems, etc.) than it would save in the long run. Ditto the winter fuel payment.

I meant "IT" could well cost more....!

So remind me, why we should pay again. We’ve already paid for this through the tax system since leaving school. If not and are a NHS visitor or not lived here your entire life, then at present they pay. I feel visitors should pay for schooling too. I do wonder how often this payment is chased.

Britain is one of the lowest pension rate payment in Europe! It would be difficult for some pensioners to afford to pay for NHS services and Prescriptions etc. It could be means tested, but again at a cost.
As an retired nurse, I can say there is a lot of wastage financially in the NHS. This wastage is caused through bad management, over ordering supplies. Pharmacy costs are extortionate and unopened medicines/drugs that have been prescribed and not used are discarded for burning. They could so easily be recycled, if the packet/ampules, tablets etc. are sealed.
There was a much better outcome when we had Matrons, Nursing Officers etc. running the Hospitals.
I agree advancement in treatments and research is badly needed, but this needs to progress with the right Captain and team at the helm.

Anyone know how the Australian Medicare system works?

They all seem quite happy with it.

I have long thought that we should pay towards food if we are in hospital. We have to pay for it when at home don't we. It would be happy to.

I’ve always thought free prescriptions and non payment of NI for working over 60s was a hangover from before pensionable age increases. There are several problems with extending payment:
*means testing is expensive to administer-new pension is phasing out Pension Credit so that can’t be the benchmark
* many long term conditions aren’t covered by free provision meaning people will be paying for multiple medications long term
* hospital in patient numbers will rise as those not able or willing to pay experience I’ll health or complications
*Doubtful a Tory government will agree as they’ll fear losing the grey vote
I support the ‘bed and board’ charge but again expensive to administer and what happens to those who can’t or won’t pay. We’ve seen the difficulties in recouping charges from those not entitled to NHS treatment

Not 'Bevin' the Foreign Secretary. It was Bevan the Health Minister who took the lead in setting up the NHS.

And no, the NHS should be paid for out of general taxation and remain free at the point of delivery otherwise we shall have another expensive, means tested shambles like disability benefits.

I live in Wales and was furious when I finally reached retirement age, having thought that “at last a perk for being old…I’ll get free prescriptions…” but at that point Wales announced it was giving free prescriptions to everyone!!

I'm not against means testing in principle but in practice it's difficult to get it right. For example, what happens to the person who just exceeds the threshold and who then finds she falls foul of the crude means testing in respect of travel passes, prescriptions, social care in the home, GP appointments etc., Certainly we know that no administrative machine capable of recognising and responding to these situations and ensuring that that person isn't worse off than someone way below the threshold, would come cheaply. I believe our NHS should be free to all British citizens but I agree that everybody should pay towards their prescribed medication and that can be done by a pre-payment certificate. There is money within the NHS that is totally gobbled up by layers of incompetent management.

Interesting comment - But myself the age of 64 being female I still DO NOT RECEIVE my weekly state pension - as most of my female friends did get theirs at age of 60 - SO IT HAS GOT TO BE MEANS TESTED.

My daughter who has asthma pays for her medication - WHY as diabetics get for FREE and a few other health issues also do.

Maybe like we all think this person has a good private pension as well as my husband yes gets his weekly government state pension and not a great private one every 3 months, so its a PRETTY BASIC COMMENT FROM HIM NOT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE AVERAGE PERSONS INCOME.

AS IF YOU LIVE IN WALES, THEN PRESCRIPTIONS ARE FREE ANYWAY AS MY PARENTS MOVED OVER THERE 40 YEARS AGO BEFORE RETIREMENT AGE, AND KNOWING THE NHS IS STRETTED WITH MYSELF WAITING IN A+E for nearly 6 hours last Wednesday till 3am then after a procedure got discharged - AS THAT IS ANOTHER ISSUE ENTIRELY.

HE SHOULD LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD.

I HAVE JUST READ above ALSO THAT IN SCOTLAND PRESCRIPTIONS ARE FREE. I DIDN'T NOW THIS.

Baggytrazzas I agree it should be free for everyone. It is in Wales and Scotland. Its unfair. However if this isn't going to happen then its only fair that if someone is still working they pay, the season ticket isn't too bad. However something else I think should happen is anyone that is already getting it free should continue to do so and it should be advertised extensively that as from 2023 anyone reaching their 60th Birthday will have to pay. I dont think its fair to start to charge people that have already stopped paying.

My husband and I are both in our 60s. He had to give up work due to his condition and I am his carer and also do not work . Up to that time we both worked hard , paid off our mortgage by not having holidays abroad , haven't had a UK holiday either for 12 years. Drive an old car 15 years . Don't drink , don't smoke , don't really socialise much.
During the height of covid was classed as CEV.
He has 7 different tablets to take a day . I've had a few problems , and take 4 .
He gets PIP and I get carers allowance, which comes to about £460 a month . As we have savings that take us over the " allowed " limit , we do not get anything else . Yes we have savings , but as above this is because of going without for many years . So we would miss free prescriptions if they ended .
Ok so I agree that you can buy the prepaid ones but that is still £200 .
What would annoy me , and yes perhaps this statement makes me a bad person is - we know people that bought their own council house , did cash in hand jobs , sold up after a few years , spend the money it made . now get their private rent paid , pays no council tax , gets universal credit , would get free prescriptions if means tested ( has money but hides it from benefit office ) gets all the extra payments , drives cars younger than ours , has holidays and to cap it all of ended up needing to go into a care home , that would be paid for as well .
There we are I've said it.

Doodledog

*Means testing doesn’t work, it’s a race to the bottom. Thresholds are set very low and ‘screen out’ people genuinely struggle and who miss the cut off, in some cases by only a pound or two. It’s also expensive to administer and in a lot of cases badly targeted - in the case of pensioners exemption to the yearly charge would almost certainly be tied to those in receipt of pension credit, which would leave others struggling.*
I agree 100%

I agree 100% as well. The expense is something we can well do without. Another problem with means testing is that it puts a perceived stigma, unjustifiably, on those who do qualify for whatever benefit is involved, and so some who need it will not apply.

(I do realise that it was Pammie1 who originally posted what I have quoted, and not Doodledog, who agreed with it like me. )

Whitewavemark2

Oh I have just read that dental checkups will now be only once every 2 years for those fortunate enough to have an nhs dentist.

I went to my NHS dentist yesterday and have been given a check up appointment in six months as usual. I did not need any treatment yesterday and my mouth, teeth and gums were very healthy so obviously some NHS dentists are continuing with six monthly checkups.

If I go 15 months without seeing the dentist then I would be removed from the list.

Not against it at all…..paying for food is good idea…..might be worth paying to see a GP as well….perhaps the time wasters would disappear of the scene ….and people actually ill could get an appointment!!