• SNP Attack Brown on Prescriptions Broken Promise

    January 28, 2010


    The SNP have made a scathing attack on Labour over prescription charges after it emerged Gordon Brown is set to shelve a promise made in 2008 to give people with long-term health conditions in England  free prescriptions.

    Councillor Jim Barrie, Convenor of Health & Social Work at Dundee City Council said: “The SNP Government has reduced prescription charges in Scotland each year since it took office in 2007 and all patients will get their prescriptions entirely free by 2011.

    “Yet Labour attacked the Scottish Government in the debate last week and wrongly claimed that patients with long-term conditions in England do not have to pay when their Scottish counterparts still do.

    “However this claim by Jackie Baillie, Labour’s Health Spokesperson, was based on a pledge by Gordon Brown in 2008 which has not been delivered and which now looks set to be shelved altogether until after the General Eleciton at the very least.

    “In fact, a strong coalition of 20 of the most prominent health charities in England is now calling on its members to take direct action to demand the Prime Minister fulfill his promise. And 172 MPs have now signed an early day motion on the subject.

    The SNP Government will reduce prescription charges for ALL illnesses by the end of the Parliamentary session. In contrast Labour has only abolished charges for cancer sufferers in England, a move which has alienated sufferers of other long-term conditions such as asthma, diabetes and depression who have questioned why they are not given parity of treatment.

    “The early evidence of the first reductions show that it is those with long term conditions who have to live with the cost of medicines who have benefited most from these cuts.

    “Prescription charges are a tax on ill health and are unacceptable in a modern society. It is only the SNP Government which can be relied on to bring about their abolition and Labour’s attacks are pure hypocrisy.”

    ENDS

    Notes

    1. Reports that Gordon Brown is to shelve his prescription promise can be found here:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jan/24/free-prescriptions-gordon-brown-protest

    2. A website calling on Gordon Brown to keep the promise he made in his speech to Labour Party Conference 2008 to abolish prescription charges for people with all long-term conditions, can be read here: http://www.prescriptionpromise.org