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Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Volume 497: debated on Wednesday 14 October 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2009, Official Report, column 486W, on prescription: fees and charges, for what reasons the projections for revenue from prescription charges do not take account of proposals to exempt from such charges those with long-term conditions; (290227)

(2) pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2009, Official Report, column 486W, on prescription: fees and charges, for what reason the preparations for prescription charge income do not take into account his Department's proposals in relation to the exemption from prescription charges of people with long-term illnesses.

Forecasts for 2009-10 and 2010-11 in the departmental report 2009 (Cm 7593) take no account of the effect of the Government's decision to exempt patients with long term conditions from prescription charges because the cost and timeframe for the phasing in of the long term conditions exemption will depend on the recommendations set out in Professor Ian Gilmore's review, which is due to report in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards ending prescription charges for all people with long-term medical conditions. (292141)

I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) on 14 September 2009, Official Report, column 2167W.