FREE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH LONG-TERM CONDITIONS

That this House welcomes the publication of Professor Sir Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges; supports Professor Gilmore's recommendation that free prescriptions should be introduced for people with long-term conditions, as defined by the review; believes that free prescriptions for people with long-term conditions would improve concordance with medication and prevent the symptoms and/or the condition worsening, thus reducing the impact of living with a long-term condition for the individual and making significant savings for the NHS in treating long-term conditions, as outlined in Professor Gilmore's report; and urges the Secretary of State for Health to outline as soon as possible how he intends to act on the recommendations of Professor Gilmore's report and to set out a clear timeline to reform the arbitrary and unjust prescription charges system for people with long-term conditions.