Chemists (Payment) (Hansard, 29 March 1965)

48. Mr. J. E. B. Hill
asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that the cancellation of prescription charges will deprive chemists of part payment at the time of dispensing, he will take steps to institute a monthly payment on account pending final pricing and settlement.

§ Mr. K. Robinson
No, Sir; chemists in the National Health Service have a standing payment on account and payment in full for prescriptions dispensed during February will be made in the next 2 or 3 weeks.

Mr. Hill
Is not the effect of the present system that the chemist gives the Government about three months" credit for one month"s work rolling forward, and that this can bear hardly on small chemists because it involves providing extra working capital because wholesalers will not give more than about six weeks" credit, whereas the Government require about three months? Will the right hon. Gentleman look into the matter, because it bears hardly on some rural chemists?

§ Mr. Robinson
I have had some representations on this matter. I told the chemists that on the present evidence I was not able to agree to the increase in the standing charge which they sought, but I have told them that if they have evidence of serious financial hardship in a substantial number of individual cases I shall be prepared to consider with them whether there are any temporary measures which might be brought to bear to deal with them.

§ Mr. Wood
Does the right hon. Gentleman think it satisfactory that this very considerable financial change for chemists should have been dictated by wholly different considerations? The change made a considerable difference to the chemists, but the considerations which led to it really had nothing to do with their paying more or less?

§ Mr. Robinson
I suppose that one might regard it as fortuitous that the chemists got the 2s. over the counter when the prescription charges were first introduced and increased. In any event they have recently received very large back payments, totalling some £8 million, for dispensing in 1962 and 1963 and the first nine months of 1964.