TAX ON ILL HEALTH ON WAY OUT WITH SNP
SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan Eilidh Whiteford has welcomed the publication by the Scottish Government of regulations which will see prescription charges cut from £4 to £3 from April 1st this year. As of next year it is planned to abolish the charge completely.
The planned legislation will also see the cost of a four-month Pre-Payment Certificate (PPC) reduced from £13 to £10 and a twelve-month PPC from £38 to £28.
Commenting the SNP's Eilidh Whiteford said:
"In these tough economic times reducing prescription charges will particularly help many people who need medicines but find it difficult to afford them.
"The SNP is bringing down the cost of prescription drugs and we will see this tax on ill health abolished next year.
"The early evidence of last year's reduction show that it is those with long term conditions who have to live with the cost of medicines who have benefited most from these cuts."
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson also welcomed the news saying:
"Prescription charges are a tax on ill health and are unacceptable in a modern society. The take up of prescriptions has increased as charges have fallen which clearly shows that people in Banff & Buchan and elsewhere were suffering because of cost.
”If prescription charges remain a barrier to people treating ill health then the burden is shifted back to GPs and hospital treatment that is why free prescriptions are right and effective.
"There are many people on modest means who need long term treatment who suffer because of the tax on ill health that prescription charges represent and I am delighted that the SNP Scottish Government is successfully phasing them out."