§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total cost of introducing and administering the prescription charges.
§ Mr. EnnalsIn the current financial year total administrative cost is estimated at between £½ million and £¾ million. In320W addition, during the same period, special payments to chemists in respect of work in connection with prescription charges will amount to about £ ½ million, but I expect that, by reducing somewhat the total volume of dispensing, prescription charges will consequently reduce the aggregate payment to chemists.
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of prescriptions issued for the years 1964, 1966 and 1967; and what are the latest available figures since the introduction of prescription charges.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe numbers of National Health Service prescriptions dispensed by chemists in England and Wales were:
Millions 1964 209 1966 262 1967 271 10th June to 31st August, 1968 52
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications have been made for exemption from prescription charges on grounds of hardship.
§ Mr. EnnalsAbout 36,000 up to 22nd October, 1968.
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he has given to the medical profession to enable patients to determine the relative advantages of paying for a season ticket to obtain prescriptions.
§ Mr. EnnalsGeneral practitioners have been given full information about the pre-payment certificate scheme.
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he has given to the medical profession in cases where patients cannot afford the season ticket charges for prescriptions, where the single prescription charges cannot be met, but where a qualification on hardship grounds is not available.
§ Mr. EnnalsNo such advice is necessary, because patients who would suffer hardship if they had to pay the charges are already entitled to exemption or refund.
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received against the introduction of prescription charges; and what replies he has sent.
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§ Mr. EnnalsI estimate that some 500 such letters have been received since 16th January. The replies have explained the reasons for the reintroduction of prescription charges and the arrangements made to exempt those on whom they would bear hardest.
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his present estimate of total prescriptions, giving the number of exemptions from prescription charges and the number without an exemption qualification, respectively.
§ Mr. EnnalsA charge was paid on 27 million of the 52 million prescriptions dispensed by chemists in England and Wales between 10th June, 1968 (when prescription charges were reintroduced) and 31st August, 1968. The remainder were exempt. About one million charges were refunded.
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total cost of printing and distributing the new forms required arising from the introduction of prescription charges.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe estimated total cost of printing and distributing new forms was £55,000. This figure does not include the cost of the revised prescription forms referred to in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Willesden, West (Mr. Pavitt) on 11th November.—[Vol. 773, c.31–32.]
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many different types of forms have been printed to deal with prescriptions since prescription charges were introduced.
§ Mr. EnnalsTo allow for the differing grounds for exemption and for the varying circumstances in which prescriptions may be issued, thirty forms have been printed. Of these, seven have been revised and reissued because of changes in the arrangements for exemption and one has been discontinued.