‘Horrendous’ income tax changes to hit GPs – 1000s to ‘opt out of the NHS pension scheme’

Health charities, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the British Geriatrics Society joined together to issue an open letter, urging the Government to rethink its proposal to raise the qualifying age for free prescriptions in England from 60 to 66.

The letter highlighted their “deep shared concern” that scrapping free prescription charges for 60 to 65 year-olds is likely to intensify existing health inequalities and have a devastating impact on older people’s health.

Age UK detailed: “With many older people already struggling to meet basic living costs, this additional levy on poor health could prevent them from managing their health conditions, especially if they are on a modest income but still above the benefits line.

“The letter continues by highlighting how the Government’s proposal will have a lasting adverse impact on the half (52 percent) of 60-64yr olds with one or more long term conditions. While some patients will find the change affordable, significant numbers will not. The DHSC impact analysis highlights that these patients will find it harder to proactively manage their conditions, presenting in their local health service as their conditions deteriorate. New analysis by Age UK reveals that each year, tens of thousands of people may require hospital treatment, having cut back on their medication due to no longer being eligible for free prescriptions.

“The DHSC itself has estimated savings of £198-£257million p.a. for the NHS as a whole, which is a tiny fraction of the NHS £212.1bn budget. What’s more, this estimate does not take into account the extra costs to local health services from addressing the more complex issues that will arise for the patients who feel unable to afford their medication.

“These patients are more likely to live in more deprived communities, with services that are more overstretched and under-resourced than in more affluent areas. There are no specific measures in place to direct the money saved by this proposal to less favoured localities, and the change seriously risks widening health inequalities at a time when the Government and the NHS are committed to narrowing them.”