Select Committee on Health Written Evidence


Annex 1

Prescription Charging Arrangements

FREE PRESCRIPTIONS

  No charge for medication (regardless of patient's status or income) which is:

    —  supplied to hospital inpatients;

    —  supplied on discharge following inpatient treatment;

    —  supplied and administered personally by a GP;

    —  supplied by a GP for immediate treatment (and no prescription form is used);

    —  administered at a hospital or walk in centre;

    —  supplied for personal administration by person making the supply in accordance with a patient group direction;

    —  supplied for the treatment of a Sexually Transmissible Infection (and no prescription form is used, eg supply is by a hospital); and

    —  which is a prescribed contraceptive (oral or listed appliances).

  No charge for prescriptions for patients who are in one of the following categories:

    —  Children under 16.

    —  Young people aged 16, 17 or 18 receiving qualifying full-time education.

    —  Men and Women aged 60 and over.

    —  Pregnant women and women who have had a child in the previous 12 months who hold a valid exemption certificate.

    —  People who hold a valid exemption certificate for a War Disablement Pension (but only in respect of medication for the accepted disablement).

    —  People suffering from the following conditions who hold a valid exemption certificate.

    —  Permanent Fistula (including caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy, or ileostomy) which requires continuous surgical dressing or requires an appliance.

    —  Forms of hypoadrenalism (including Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential.

    —  Diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism.

    —  Diabetes mellitus (except where treatment is by diet alone).

    —  Hypoparathyroidism.

    —  Myasthenia gravis.

    —  Myxoedema.

    —  Epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy.

    —  Continuing physical disability which prevents the patient from leaving his residence without the help of another person.

  No charge for prescriptions for patients in the following groups determined on an income related basis:

  Recipients of:

    —  Income Support.

    —  Jobseekers' Allowance Income-based.

    —  Pension Credit guarantee credit—for partners under 60, recipient entitled on age grounds.

    —  Tax credit awarded and family's annual gross income (from 6 April 2005) is £15,050 or less with:

    —  working tax credit and child tax credit, or

    —  working tax credit with a disability element, or

    —  child tax credit and not eligible for working tax credit

    —  (and the patient is named on a tax credit exemption certificate)

    —  the patient named on an HC2 charges certificate for full help (under the NHS Low Income Scheme). Either partner (including civil partners from December 2005) may make the claim with the level of help based on a comparison between income and requirements (needs) of the individual/couple at the time a claim is made (or a charge was paid) subject to their capital being below a specified limit.





 
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Prepared 18 January 2006