HC Deb 11 December 1961 vol 651 cc14-6
18. Mrs. Butler

asked the Minister of Health if he has now completed his review of the 2s. prescription charge; and if he will make a statement.

36. Sir B. Janner

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the 2s. prescription charge is continuing to cause hardship and whether he is prepared to reconsider the position with a view to removing the charge.

Mr. Powell

I am watching the position continuously, but find no ground for altering the charge.

Mrs. Butler

Is the Minister aware that a constituent of mine paid 1s. for eye ointment when buying it over the counter and subsequently she had to pay 2s. prescription charge for an identical tube of eye ointment obtained on a doctor's prescription? Does he realise that busy chemists cannot possibly operate two systems of prescribing? Is it not time that this money-wasting, time-wasting and temper-fraying stupidity was removed altogether?

Mr. Powell

I have no reason to believe that this is wasting money, but, if the hon. Lady will let me have particulars of the incident she has mentioned, I will look into it.

Sir B. Janner

Is not the Minister aware that there is a considerable amount of feeling in regard to the charge, which is preventing a large number of people from getting by prescription the medicaments which they need? Why does he impose a charge of this nature when he knows that it will cause hardship to a large number of people?

Mr. Powell

I have no reason to believe that this charge is preventing people from getting the treatment or medicines which they need, but I believe that it is widely recognised that the money which the charge yields is used to better effect in the National Health Service.

Mrs. Butler

Is the Minister not concerned about the waste of money on the part of my constituent who had to pay twice as much for the second tube of ointment?

Mr. Powell

I have promised to look at that particular case.

Mr. K. Robinson

Is not the Minister aware that on the first seven months' experience there has been a drop in the number of prescriptions of 24 million per year, which is three times the rate which he estimated when he drew up the Estimates for the current year? In view of that, is there not prima facie evidence that people are suffering hardship and are not getting the medicines they need? Will he review the whole arrangement?

Mr. Powell

There was bound to be a fall in the number of prescriptions, if only because of the increase in prescribing for a longer period, which was very desirable. I still would not consider that we have had anything like enough experience of the working of the charge to assess the overall effect.