John Leech backs Prescription Charge Campaign

11.46.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 25th Aug 2009

Withington MP, John Leech, has given his backing to a campaign run by a coalition of twenty organisations representing people with long-term conditions to scrap prescription charges for all people with long-term conditions without delay.

Mr Leech has supported the 'Prescription Promise' campaign by signing up to a Parliamentary motion, calling for the Government to end this unfair charge before the next General Election, which must happen by June 2010.

The Prime Minister promised at the Labour Party Conference last September to abolish prescription charges for people living with long-term conditions. One year on, 162 MPs have signed a parliamentary motion supporting the campaign and 1,450 members of the public in England have also signed a petition in support.

John Leech said:

'The Government is reviewing this issue, but in the meantime, large numbers of people with long-term conditions are struggling to afford their prescription charges and many are making a difficult and distressing choice not to take vital medication because of the cost.

'I am calling for an end to this unfair charge on people with long-term conditions as soon as possible.'

Members of the public who would like to support the 'Prescription Promise' campaign can do so at prescriptionpromise.org

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Notes to editors

1. John Leech has signed up to EDM 566: FREE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR LONG-TERM CONDITIONS

"That this House is concerned that large numbers of people with long-term conditions are struggling to afford vital medication and that some are unable to pay; welcomes the commitment given by the Prime Minister in September 2008 to abolish prescription charges for people with cancer from April 2009 and for people with long-term conditions over the next few years; notes that the new Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme will deliver substantial savings to the NHS drugs budget; further welcomes the announcement that Professor Ian Gilmore will conduct a review to consider how to implement this policy; and supports the Campaign for Free Prescriptions for Long-term Conditions in urging the Government to abolish prescription charges for all people with all long-term conditions before the next General Election."

2. The Prescription Charges Coalition, established in 2006, is made up of the following 20 organisations representing a wide range of long-term conditions:

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group, Arthritis Care, Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Asthma UK, Behcets Syndrome Society, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Disability Alliance, Klinefelter's Syndrome Association, Mind, MS Society, National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society, National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, Parkinson's Disease Society, Pernicious Anaemia Society, Rethink, Stroke Association, Skin Care Campaign and Terrence Higgins Trust.

3. The Prime Minister promised in his Leader's Speech at the 2008 Labour party conference, to abolish prescription charges for all people with all long-term conditions. The coalition is campaigning for this to happen as soon as possible, and certainly before the next election.

4. Exempting people with long-term conditions from prescription charges would directly improve drug compliance and health outcomes among those who are struggling to afford their medicines. It is therefore likely that the NHS would be able to treat long-term conditions more cost effectively as a result of prescription charge exemption, given the evidence that under-treatment of long-term conditions due to cost issues results in increased use of health services. People who struggle to afford prescription charges adopt a number of coping strategies, including not going to see their GP (to avoid the prescription), not getting the prescription dispensed, or prioritising amongst different items.