Free Prescriptions: Time to publish Professor Gilmore’s Report

Many of you took part in our day of action calling on Gordon Brown to remember his prescription promise.
 
In an official response, Health Minister Mike O’Brien promised that the Government would give us its views in due course.

Of course, time is of the essence with a General Election only weeks away. A potential manifesto pledge falls short of many people’s expectations that England will take a clear step towards free prescriptions, as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland already have free prescriptions for people with long-term conditions, including asthma.

We are therefore calling on government to publish Professor Gilmore’s report, in which he sets out the basis of a fair prescription charge policy and how Gordon Brown could deliver his promise of making prescriptions free to those with all and not just some long-term conditions.

Once the report is in the public domain, we can ask political parties of all hues whether they support its recommendations. We will then know where all the parties stand on this issue, which remains the most pressing for people with asthma and those with over 20 other long-term conditions who joined our campaign for change.

This is what ministers have told parliament:

 (Prescription Charges questions, 1 February)


Mr Stephen O'Brien (Conservative): To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to exempt from prescription charges those with long-term conditions; what assessment he has made of Sir Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges; when he expects that review to be published; and if he will make a statement. 


Mr David Drew (Labour): What recent progress has been made in implementing the commitment to exempt from prescription charges those with long-term conditions? 


Dan Rogerson (Liberal Democrat): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made toward exempting from prescription charges patients with long-term medical conditions. 


Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects Professor Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges to be published.


Patrick Hall (Labour): To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Professor Gilmore's review of prescription charges and his Department's response will be published; and whether asthma is to be included in the list of long-term conditions exempted from charges.

Mike O'Brien (Minister for Health Services): Professor Gilmore has now submitted his report on exempting people with long-term conditions from prescription charges to the Department. The recommendations are currently being considered. We will publish our response shortly.

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