Coulter backs scrapping Health Prescription Charges
Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, said constituents would “greatly benefit” from any future decision to scrap health prescription charges.
Dr Coulter, the UUP Health Spokesman, was speaking after backing a recent Assembly motion urging the Health Minister to establish a cost and benefit review aimed at abolishing health prescription charges as had been carried out in Wales.
The North Antrim MLA noted that in 1979, the prescription charge was 20 pence, yet by this year, it had reached £6.85.
“That is more than five times what might have been expected due to normal inflationary pressures. That simple arithmetical exercise shows how inflated prescription charges have become.”
Dr Coulter branded prescription charges as “a health tax”. He said this was why the Welsh Assembly – which had fewer devolved powers than the Stormont Assembly – had abolished prescription charges from 1st April this year.
“The purpose of levying prescription charges is now unclear. The income from them is negligible in overall terms. We must get away from continuing and perpetuating activities simply because we have always done them.
“Levying prescription charges is one of those survivals from past practice that no longer makes sound business sense for government.
“It may be argued that we need to get back to the founding principles of the National Health Service in this matter. The NHS, introduced in 1947, was a comprehensive health service that was free of charge at the point of need.
“If patients are treated free of charge at the point of need, medicines should also be free,” emphasised Assemblyman Dr Coulter.