Calls for end to free prescriptions for Wales
More than £5 million of free paracetamol was dished out in Wales last year while some patients were denied potentially life saving cancer medication, Montgomeryshire Welsh Assembly member, Russell George has said.
The assembly member wants to see the end of universal free prescriptions in Wales, which he describes as a buffet cart.
The free prescriptions for all in Wales has just marked its 10th anniversary. But Welsh Conservatives say the Welsh Government must move towards a more “just and affordable” model.
Mr George said: “Universal free prescriptions are a good and noble idea if you have a bottomless well of cash, but clearly this just isn’t the case for the Welsh NHS. Last year the health service in Wales spent a record-breaking £593.7m on free prescriptions.
"With many residents in North Powys contacting me saying that they are waiting months and, in some cases, years for an operation, surely some of this money would be better spent elsewhere rather than subsidising prescriptions for those who can clearly afford to make a contribution.
“It surely cannot be right that £5.1m was spent on paracetamol last year - something which can be bought for mere pennies in supermarkets - while some patients were denied potentially life-saving cancer medication on the basis of cost.
“Put simply, people who can afford to pay for their medicine should pay, while those who cannot afford to pay, or live with long-term chronic conditions, should still be able to benefit from free medicine. The NHS can no longer be treated like a buffet cart.”
