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NEWS: Deborah Cohen BMA meeting: BMA representatives vote to end prescription charges in England BMJ 2009; 339: b2650 [Full text]

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No prescription charges for cancer patients

Kenneth Campbell   (3 July 2009)

Paying nothing for nothing in England

Stephen P. Gash, Kenneth Campbell   (17 July 2009)

Free prescriptions for cancer patients in England

Patrick J Harris   (17 July 2009)

No prescription charges for cancer patients 3 July 2009
Kenneth Campbell, Sent in private capacity N/A Send response to journal: Re: No prescription charges for cancer patients	Dear Sirs, In your report of the BMA Annual Conference debate on ending prescription charges you quote Dr Shukat Ali as referring to "outpatients on treatment for cancer", having to pay full presciption charges. This is, as I am sure Dr Ali is actually aware, not true; since April of this year all patients with a cancer diagnosis have been exempt from any prescription charges. Such patients are not required to pay prescription charges for any drug - the exemption is not restricted to drugs prescribed for treatment of their cancer. Competing interests: None declared
Paying nothing for nothing in England 17 July 2009
Stephen P. Gash, Self-employed writer Carlisle CA3 9RB, Kenneth Campbell Send response to journal: Re: Paying nothing for nothing in England	Kenneth Campbell pointed out that free prescriptions do not only apply to cancer patients in England for medicines prescribed to treat their cancer. As about fifteen cancer drugs are not available on England's Health Service that are freely available on the Scottish Health Service, this means that many cancer patients in England will be paying nothing for no cancer treatment. That's NICE. At least prescribed analgesics will be free. Competing interests: None
Free prescriptions for cancer patients in England 17 July 2009
Patrick J Harris, Retired PO8 9TB Send response to journal: Re: Free prescriptions for cancer patients in England	Mr. Campbell is probably confusing the Scottish NHS with the English NHS (I use the word English because in this context there wouldn't appear to be an England). English cancer patients have to resort to the law courts to obtain life saving drugs that are readily available and free in Scotland. FYI drugs will soon be free in Wales. Competing interests: None declared