HC Deb 13 February 1968 vol 758 cc297-303W
48. Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Health whether he proposes that all disabled people will be exempt from prescription charges, and not only the war disabled or industrial disabled.

57. Mr. Robert Edwards

asked the Minister of Health if persons in receipt of industrial injuries benefit will be exempt from prescription charges.

84. Mr. Horner

asked the Minister of Health if persons in receipt of war disability pensions will be exempted from prescription charges.

Mr. K. Robinson:

As before, war pensioners will be relieved of charges for prescriptions for their accepted disability. The extent to which other disabled people between the ages of 15 and 65 will be exempted depends on the criteria for identifying the chronic sick, which are still under discussion.

50 and 51. Mr. Hugh Jenkins

asked the Minister of Health (1) if a person suffering from bronchitis will be exempt from prescription charges;

(2) if a person suffering from bronchial ashma will be exempt from prescription charges.

52. Mr. Eadie

asked the Minister of Health if a person who has suffered from a coronary thrombosis will come within the definition of chronic sick and be exempt from prescription charges.

56. Mr. John Hynd

asked the Minister of Health if a person suffering from hearing loss will be allowed analgesics free of prescription charges.

59. Mr. J. Idwal Jones

asked the Minister of Health if a person suffering from rheumatoid arthritis will be exempt from prescription charges.

60. Mr. Raymond Fletcher

asked the Minister of Health if a person suffering from a duodenal ulcer will be exempt from prescription charges.

61 and 62. Mr. Arnold Shaw

asked the Minister of Health (1) if a person suffering from a gastric ulcer will be exempt from prescription charges;

(2) if a person suffering from ulcerative colitis will be exempt from prescription charges.

63 and 64. Mr. Russell Kerr

asked the Minister of Health (1) if a person with a colostomy will be allowed drugs and dressings free of prescription charges;

(2) if a person with an ileostomy will be allowed drugs and dressings free of prescription charges.

66 and 67. Mr. Will Owen

asked the Minister of Health (1) if a person suffering from progressive muscular atrophy will be exempt from prescription charges;

(2) if a person suffering from schizophrenia will be exempt from prescription charges.

68 and 69. Mr. Lomas

asked the Minister of Health (1) if a person suffering from congestive heart failure will be exempt from prescription charges;

(2) if a person suffering from cancer will be exempt from prescription charges.

70 and 71. Mr. Murray

asked the Minister of Health (1) if a registered blind person comes within the category of chronic sick for the purpose of exemption from prescription charges;

(2) if a person under the age of 65 years who sustains a fractured limb which takes a long time to mend is considered as chronic sick for the purpose of free prescriptions.

73. Mr. Gregory

asked the Minister of Health if a person suffering from fairly regular incontinence will be allowed drugs and dressings free of prescription charges.

74 and 75. Mr. Ron Lewis

asked the Minister of Health (1) if a person suffering from congenital heart disease will be exempt from prescription charges;

(2) if a person suffering from emphysema will be exempt from prescription charges.

76. Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health for the purposes of exemption from prescription charges, after what period an illness will be regarded as chronic.

78. Mr. Pavitt

asked the Minister of Health if a person who has been recognised as being chronically sick because of a chest complaint and who requires medicine for other illnesses or disabilities will pay for some prescriptions and not for others.

79 and 80. Mr. Manuel

asked the Minister of Health (1) if a woman on the waiting list for admission to a hospital for gynaecological treatment will come within the category of chronic sick and be allowed free prescriptions;

(2) if a person who has suffered from bronchitis during two successive winters will come within the definition of chronic sick and be exempt from payment of prescription charges.

86 and 87. Mr. Heffer

asked the Minister of Health (1) if, under his proposals, a person suffering from disseminated sclerosis will be exempt from prescription charges;

(2) if, under his proposals, a person suffering from osteo-arthritis will be exempt from prescription charges.

88 and 89. Mr. Thin

asked the Minister of Health (1) if, under his proposals, a person suffering from anxiety neurosis will be exempt from prescription charges;

(2) if, under his proposals, a person suffering from depressive neurosis will be exempt from prescription charges.

Mr. K. Robinson:

Eligibility of patients who do not qualify on other grounds would depend on the criteria, which are still under discussion, to be adopted for identifying the chronic sick.

53. Mr. Eadie

asked the Minister of Health if he intends to exempt from prescription charges women over the age of 60 years.

Mr. K. Robinson:

Not those between 60 and 65 unless they are among the chronic sick.

58. Mr. John Fraser

asked the Minister of Health whether the proposed prescription charges will apply per item or per series of items on each prescription form.

Mr. K. Robinson:

As announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 16th January, the charge will be 2s. 6d. per item.—[Vol. 756, c. 1587.]

65. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Minister of Health for what period after a miscarriage a woman will be exempted from prescription charges.

Mr. K. Robinson:

Exemption is not proposed after miscarriage.

77. Mr. Pavitt

asked the Minister of Health what measures he will take to ensure that medicines prescribed for a child under 15 years of age are not used by other members of the family.

Mr. K. Robinson:

No measure can ensure this but care by doctors in the prescription of medicines and by parents in their use will always be the best safeguard against any misuse by other members of the family of medicines prescribed for children.

85. Mr. Horner

asked the Minister of Health if he proposes to exempt from prescription charges all children in full-time education.

Mr. K. Robinson:

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 2nd February to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardigan (Mr. Elystan Morgan).—[Vol. 757, c. 429.]

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Minister of Health if, excluding those on National Assistance, he will give his estimate of the number of people entitled to free prescriptions who did not apply for refunds in each of the years 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. K. Robinson:

I know of no basis for a reliable estimate. I shall be consulting my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Social Security about measures to ensure that patients who are entitled to have the future charges remitted or repaid are aware of the arrangements which apply to them.

Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health in the last convenient 12-month period what would have been the revenue from a prescription charge of 2s. 6d. per item on each prescription issued.

Mr. K. Robinson:

On the basis of the number of prescriptions actually issued in England and Wales, about £34 million during the financial year ended 31st March, 1967.

Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health what was the revenue from prescription charges in each of the last four years in which they were applied.

Mr. K. Robinson:

The information is as follows:

REVENUE BROUGHT TO ACCOUNT UNDER THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE VOTES (ENGLAND AND WALES) FROM PRESCRIPTION CHARGES IN YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH*
1962 1963 1964 1965
£million £million £million £million
20.8 21.0 22.5 22.5
*Representing, broadly, prescriptions dispensed in the year ended 31st January.

Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health what is the estimated proportion of the community that will be exempted from prescription charges; and what proportion of the total number of prescription items he anticipates will be issued to this section of the community this year.

Mr. K. Robinson:

Exemption of the categories referred to in the Statement by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 16th January would affect upwards of 40 per cent. of the population. I should expect roughly half of all prescriptions to be issued to patients in these categories.—[Vol. 756, c. 1587.]

Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health what is the proportion of the community that will obtain refunds of prescription charges; and what proportion of the total number of prescription items he anticipates will be issued to this section of the community this year.

Mr. K. Robinson:

No close estimate is possible owing to the increase in the number of people receiving Supplementary Benefit since prescription charges were last payable and the effect of the proposed exemption arrangements.

Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health on what percentage of prescriptions refunds were obtained in each of the last four years that there were prescription charges.

Mr. K. Robinson:

In England and Wales, approximately 9 per cent. in 1961– 62 and 11 per cent. in each of the succeeding three years.

Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health what estimate he has made of the revenue which would have accrued in the last convenient 12-month period from a prescription charge of 2s. 6d., assuming that there were refunds for those patients who obtained refunds when charges were last in force.

Mr. K. Robinson:

On the basis of the number of prescriptions actually issued in England and Wales, the net revenue during the financial year ended 31st March, 1967, would have been just over £30 million.

Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health what charges he proposes to make for elastic stockings provided on prescription.

Mr. K. Robinson:

I am at present considering the matter.

Mr. Lomas

asked the Minister of Health if a person suffering from diabetes will be exempt from prescription charges.

Mr. K. Robinson:

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply today to my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Hugh Jenkins) and others.

Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Minister of Health for what period will a nursing mother be exempted from prescription charges.

Mr. K. Robinson:

I am considering with the profession how long exemption should continue after a confinement.