MSP Welcomes First Stage of Proposals To Abolish Prescription Charges

Falkirk West MSP, Michael Matheson, has welcomed the announcement of the proposed abolition of prescription charges by the SNP government in Holyrood.

One of the major commitments of the SNP was to make healthcare more accessible and with the evidence that people often refuse prescriptions because they can't afford to pay for them a key commitment was to withdraw charges for prescriptions.

The first phase will be to increase the range of free prescriptions to include those suffering from acute illnesses previously required to pay for prescriptions.

Talking to the SNP web site Michael Matheson said,

"Healthcare should be free yet it was a Labour government that first introduced prescription charges.

Since then Labour and the Tories have both pursued the same policy of increasing year on year the charges on the sick.

This has often resulted in those with different medical needs having to pick and choose which of their prescriptions they can afford to purchase which is totally unacceptable in a civilised society."

The program was considered by Falkirk Council's Community Health and Safety Committee where even arch unionist, Gerry Goldie had to admit that

"there was a great deal that was good about the SNP government's proposals."