§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing the change in prescription charges in each year since 1976 in cash and real terms.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe requested information is in the table. Only one in five prescribed items dispensed in the national health service now attracts a charge at the point of dispensing, compared with one in three in 1979. In 1991, over 100 million more items were dispensed free of charge than in 1979. Although the prescription charge has increased, it continues to represent less than half the average total cost of a prescribed item to the national health service.
Prescription charge increases 1 April 1976 to 1 April 1992, in cash and real terms Date Prescription charges £ Cash change £ Per cent. Change/cash Per cent. Change real terms 1 April 1976 0.20 — — — 1 April 1977 0.20 — — -12.0 1 April 1978 0.20 — — -9.8 16 July 1979 0.45 0.25 125.0 92.8 1 April 1980 0.70 0.25 55.6 31.5 1 December 1980 1.00 0.30 42.9 42.9 1 April 1981 1.00 — — -8.8 1 April 1982 1.30 0.30 30.0 21.4 1 April 1983 1.40 0.10 7.7 2.9 1 April 1984 1.60 0.20 14.3 8.8 1 April 1985 2.00 0.40 25.0 18.5 1 April 1986 2.20 0.20 10.0 6.5 I April 1987 2.40 0.20 9.1 3.5 1 April 1988 2.60 0.20 8.3 1.0 1 April 1989 2.80 0.20 7.7 1.0 1 April 1990 3.05 0.25 8.9 0.7 1 April 1991 3.40 0.35 11.5 4.2 I April 1992 3.75 0.35 10.3 5.5