HC Deb 12 November 1956 vol 560 cc535-7
11. Mr. Collins

asked the Minister of Health if he will exclude from the proposed charge of 1s. per item on prescriptions any article which costs 1s. or less.

Mr. Turton

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him to this Question on 29th October.

Mr. Collins

Is the Minister aware that that was a callous and brutal reply which did him discredit?

Mr. Speaker

Order. I think in Parliamentary Questions these tendentious remarks should not be made.

Mr. Collins

I was referring to what the Minister said in an earlier reply. Adverting to his earlier reply, will the right hon. Gentleman say how, if old-age pensioners are compelled to pay for these items, they will be able to claim from the National Assistance Board for them? Is he further aware that doctors have said they will prescribe larger amounts to make them profitable to the purchasers? Will the Government's objective of saving money thus be realised? Will the right hon. Gentleman have another look at this matter to see that he is not adding madness to meanness?

Mr. Turton

There are a very few articles which can be supplied at a cost less than 1s. I have a list and it is very small. I will look into the point the hon. Member made about arrangements whereby persons can claim National Assistance refund to see whether they can or cannot obtain the refund in respect of articles costing less than 1s.

Dr. Sununerskill

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he has displayed a great deal of ignorance by that answer? There are thousands of people in this country who perhaps every day may need a small amount of cotton wool or a bandage the cost price of which is only a few coppers? How can he say that 1s. should be charged for those things in view of the fact that we were told the other day that people in the lowest income groups are not all going to be excluded from this charge?

Mr. Turton

I think the right hon. Lady misheard or misunderstood what I said. I said that the items prescribed very rarely cost less than 1s. We have examined the prescriptions to obtain that information. If today people want a small amount of cotton wool costing a few coppers, they pay the few coppers and take the cotton wool, and the same procedure will occur after 1st December.

12. Mr. Collins

asked the Minister of Health if he will exclude from the proposed charges for prescriptions all prescriptions for diabetics and varicose ulcer patients.

Mr. Turton

No, Sir, but any person who on application to the National Assistance Board shows that he will suffer financial hardship in accordance with the Board's standards will be able to obtain a refund.

Mr. Collins

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that patients of this class, particularly diabetics, require throughout their lives prescriptions which consist of a number of items? If he cannot agree to my request, will he suggest some way in which these people can be helped by making one prescription cover a variety of items?

Mr. Turton

At the present time diabetics are paying their 1s. whenever they receive a prescription form in connection with their illness. In the regulations we are providing that a doctor, where he thinks it medically advisable, can prescribe a larger quantity of the drug or dressings for the patient, and when such larger quantity is prescribed the patient will still pay only 1s. I have also been in touch with the British Medical Association and asked it to consider any further composite packs for other conditions which it may be desirable should be generally available. If we can discover such composite packs and the other professions co-operate, we shall arrange for the composite packs to be charged merely 1s. each time they are prescribed.

Air Commodore Harvey

I think my right hon. Friend said that in certain cases doctors could issue prescriptions for three months in respect of diabetics. Can he confirm that all doctors can do this if they think fit?

Mr. Turton

This is a matter entirely for the doctors, and I do not want to enter into it. What I think was said last week was that, in suitable cases where the condition is stabilised, prescriptions can be given, and are given, for periods up to three months.

Mr. Mikardo

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us how much the expected annual additional revenue from this change in prescription charges compares with the daily cost of occupying the part of Egypt that we are now in?