£200: Cost To Chronically Ill Of Labour's Delay In Delivery

12.00.00am GMT Mon 28th Feb 2005

By the time Labour cut prescriptions from £5 to £4 this October, people with long term chronic illnesses will have had to pay out over £200 in charges in the period since the Assembly voted to abolish their prescription charges.

According to legislation tabled at the Assembly this week, under Labour's plan prescription charges will fall from £5 to £4 this October. In February 2003, AMs of all parties, including Labour, voted in support of Kirsty Williams's private members bill to abolish charges for people with long-term illnesses. Instead Labour decided to bring down charges gradually. They will still be £4 at the start of the last year of this Assembly. Prescriptions will not be free until 2007.

Mike German, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats in the Assembly said today: "Those who expected free prescriptions in 2003 are being made to wait for this slow process, whilst Labour fails to target those most in need.

"By October it will have been thirty months since the Assembly voted to scrap charges for those suffering from chronic illnesses, such as arthritis. Instead of two years of free prescriptions, those patients have forked out over £200 in season ticket prescription charges.

"Introducing another Assembly motion this week, to reduce the prescription charge by £1 in October, is too slow. Those with long term chronic illnesses who need a cocktail of drugs to control their condition require multiple prescriptions. They are being made to wait, as Labour plays catch-up with charges. This delay in delivery is increasing the burden for those suffering from chronic long-term illnesses. They were entitled to expect free prescriptions but the cost of Labour's protracted prescription process has been over £200 to those sufferers."