NHS PRESCRIPTIONS

That this House is aware that from 1 April 2016 the costs of NHS prescriptions were raised to £8.40 per item in England; notes recent evidence which reveals that up to 33 per cent of people with long-term health conditions who have to pay for their prescriptions fail to collect items due to costs, with others reducing their immediate dosage to save money which in turn has a negative impact on their quality of life can result in additional treatment and including hospitilisation and the extra use of the emergency services; and believes it is time that the Government reviewed the current outdated medical exemption criteria first established in 1968 and agreed the inclusion of free medication for all people found to have long-term ill health conditions.