Battle Won To Abolish ‘Illness Tax’ That Piled On Agony For Thousands

Thousands of chronically-ill patients are to have their prescription charges scrapped by the Scottish Executive in a major victory for the high-profile campaign led by The Scotsman.

Shona Robison, Scotland’s first public health minister, said patients with chronic conditions, such as cancer or asthma, would no longer be “penalised”. She said she hoped the charges could be removed by next April.

The Scotsman led a campaign for the change, which was backed by charities and thousands of readers.

Ms Robison told a conference of NHS staff in Glasgow yesterday that the SNP-led Executive would help improve the well-being of Scots “by abolishing prescription charges for those with a chronic illness”.

She later said: “We feel that prescription charges are a tax on ill-health and we feel very strongly that those who suffer from a chronic condition shouldn’t be penalised.

“If that is a lifelong illness then they are penalised for their whole lives.

“For people who require a number of medications, it can be a very costly business.”

Ms Robison said the first step on the path to scrapping the charges would be to consider which conditions to include. But she said exemptions will cover a wide spectrum of illnesses and the Executive would also include mechanisms so new illnesses can be added as necessary.

Ms Robison said she was confident that the plan would pass smoothly through parliament and would have broad support among MSPs.

After scrapping charges for those with chronic conditions by next April, the Executive will spend the next four years trying to build a consensus in parliament to phase out prescription charges completely.

Axing charges for chronic conditions is estimated to cost about £9 million, while scrapping charges altogether will cost £46 million.

Ms Robison said this would be “achievable in the budget”.

Thousands of Scotsman readers backed the campaign for scrapping prescription charges for chronic illnesses.

Darren Graham, a spokesman for Macmillan Cancer Support, praised The Scotsman’s campaign yesterday.

“Without The Scotsman, and other supporters, none of the campaigning would ever pay off,” he said. “Living with cancer is an unimaginable experience. Those affected have no choice but to take prescriptions. They shouldn’t be dealing with the financial burden associated with it.”

Barrie Collins, from Breast Cancer Care Scotland, also welcomed the move. “The cost of cancer can cause terrible hardship for many individuals and families, which is why Breast Cancer Care has campaigned hard on the issue, as has The Scotsman,” he said. The move was also warmly welcomed by the MS Society and Asthma UK Scotland.

Mark Hazelwood, of the MS Society, said: “When you look at this issue, it is often the group who are continuing to work while they deal with their illness who are most disadvantaged.

“We do not believe people with MS should be paying prescription charges and are supportive of the changes.”

Shona Haslam, the national director of Asthma UK Scotland, said: “

Under the current system, people with asthma have to pay for their treatment while other long-term conditions, such as diabetes, are exempt. This is an opportunity to radically reform a system that is inequitable, unfair and unsustainable.”

Joy comes too late for some

CHRISTINE Reddick had to buy morphine to ease her husband’s agony in the final months of his life because the Scottish Executive denied cancer sufferers free prescriptions. Last night, she said she was “overjoyed” the policy was being overturned.

Hardly a week went past when Mrs Reddick did not have to go to the chemist to pay for medicine for her husband Nigel, who died aged 57 in 2003 after a two-year battle with throat and bone cancer.

The Reddicks gave their support last year to The Scotsman’s Change the Charges campaign for free prescriptions for people with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, believing that no-one should have the stress of watching a loved one die worsened by having to pay for drugs. Mrs Reddick, of Burntisland, Fife, said yesterday: “I am overjoyed by this decision.

“I have been following the progress of the campaign to abolish prescription charges for chronic conditions and kept hoping something positive would happen.

“It’s heartening to see that perseverance and a strong publicity campaign on this issue have worked, and I am delighted by this outcome.”

Welcome end of ‘penalties’

FIONA Burns said removing prescription charges for patients with chronic conditions was “fantastic”.

The 31-year-old has multiple sclerosis and has to pay regularly for prescriptions to treat illnesses caused by her condition.

“My immune system is badly affected by my MS,” she said.

“It means I am more prone to chest infections, for which I need antibiotics.

“I have also developed allergies as a result and have to pay for prescriptions to treat them too. It can end up costing a lot of money.”

Ms Burns, who works as an account manager in Edinburgh, said many people found it difficult enough to cope with their condition without having to find extra money to pay for vital drugs.

“I welcome the plans to get rid of prescription charges.

“Many people with MS are determined to keep working and so have to pay for prescriptions to keep them well.

“To have to keep paying the charges when you are just trying to get on with your life is a bit harsh,” she said.

Mark Hazelwood, director of the MS Society Scotland, said scrapping the charges was the right thing to do.

“We do not believe people with MS should be paying prescription charges, and are supportive of the changes.

“Charges penalise people already disadvantaged in terms of health, and often economically as well,” he said.

• The Executive has promised that legislation to remove prescription charges will cover a wide range of chronic illnesses.

These are likely to include:

• Cancer: Around 26,000 Scots are diagnosed with cancer every year. The most common cancer in men is prostate cancer, while in women it is breast cancer.

• Leukaemia: Around 680 people in Scotland are diagnosed with leukaemia each year.

• Hepatitis C: Up to 20,000 Scots are thought to be living with this infection, which causes liver problems.

• Asthma: There are 390,000 people in Scotland currently receiving treatment for asthma.

• Arthritis: More than 700,000 people in Scotland suffer from arthritis.

• Multiple sclerosis: About 10,400 people in Scotland have MS.