§ 81. Mr. Ewartasked the Minister of Health if he will make provision to exempt chronic sick patients, who require dangerous drugs which are dispensed weekly, from the prescription charge.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodNo. When such drugs are prescribed on a weekly basis, they are not usually required for periods so long as to make the ordinary provision for relief of financial hardship inappropriate.
§ 88. Mrs. Braddockasked the Minister of Health the procedure to be adopted by persons who have to pay 1s. prescription charge who are not in receipt of National Assistance but whose payment of Is. would make them obliged to claim refund.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Kirkdale (Mr. Keenan) on 19th June.
§ 89. Mrs. Braddockasked the Minister of Health how many methods have been agreed by him for the collection of the Is. prescription charge; and what they are.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodEach hospital makes its own arrangements for collection. In certain rural areas special arrangements may be made, of which I am sending the hon. Lady particulars.
§ 95. Mr. Hastingsasked the Minister of Health what arrangements he has made at hospitals for a refund to be made to 211W patients when it is found that the cost of the medicine supplied to them was less than 1s.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodNone.
§ Dr. Broughtonasked the Minister of Health what amount of the average cost of a National Health Service prescription in England and Wales in 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1951, separately, was accounted for by each of the following items: the payment of the dispensing fee; the cost of the container; and the cost of drugs, medicines and dressings.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe approximate figures are as follow:
Period Average cost of dispensing fee per prescription Cost of container allowance per prescription Average ingredient cost of drugs and appliances per prescription s. d. s. d. s. d. 1948 (July to December) 1 1 2½ 11 1949 1 0 2 1 2 ½ 1950 1 0½ 1½ 1 5 ¾ Figures for 1951 are not yet available.
§ Mrs. Braddockasked the Minister of Health if he will place in the Library copies of all relevant documents issued by him in relation to the advice and procedure for the refund of the 1s. charge for prescriptions to those entitled to refund.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodCirculars to executive councils are placed in the Library in the ordinary course of circulation. I will add the appropriate hospital circulars.