Free presciptions in England for all cancer patients?

Hi Rob,
I really welcome this move.... prescription charges have been scrapped in Wales ... and soon to be in Scotland....
Thanks for posting the link to this article. Brown seems very committed to the idea behind the NHS..i.e Universal healthcare. I do not think the conservatives are as committed as there have been lots of articles about co-pay etc. which is in my opinion a slippery slope towards a two tier healthcare system. Not something I would like to see.

Sandy ;o)

"Patients with long-term conditions will get free prescriptions in England under plans announced by the prime minister.

Charges for cancer patients will be scrapped from next year with other conditions to follow afterwards, Gordon Brown told the Labour Party conference.

It comes after charges were scrapped in Wales last year and are in the process of being phased out in Scotland.

The cost of measure is expected to be paid for by making savings in the overall drugs budget.

Mr Brown said: "Because we know that almost every British family has been touched by cancer, (Health Secretary) Alan Johnson and I know we must do more to relieve the financial worry that so often goes alongside the heartache, so our plan is next year to abolish all prescription charges for everyone with cancer.

"Cancer patients in England have been struggling to pay these unfair charges for too long"
Ciaran Devane, of Macmillan Cancer Support

"And this is not the limit of our commitment to a fair NHS.
In the long-term, as the NHS generates cash savings in its drugs budget, we will plough them back into abolishing charges for all patients with long-term conditions."
...read article in full