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More details from petition creator

Prescription charges were introduced in 1952.These charges were abolished in 1965,but were reintroduced in 1968 (When the current exemption list was produced).The current range of exemptions has been widely criticised. It excludes many chronic conditions and also some conditions which were not in existence.In 2001, a report by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaus claimed that 750,000 prescriptions in that year, had not been dispensed because of cost. The inability to pay for prescription charges leaves patients with difficult choices, and can increase the costs for the health economy, as failed treatment in primary care often requires admission to more expensive secondary care (hospitals).In 2002, the Wanless Report condemned the system of exemptions as 'illogical'. The report argued that exemptions take no account of ability to pay.In April 2007,Wales abolished prescription charges, and Scotland have reduced their prescription charges to £5 in April 2008, these will reduce further in 2009 & 2010, finally being free in Scotland from 2011. The NHS is a 'National Health Service' therefore there should be equity in accessing medicines.

Current signatories

Matt Griffiths, the Petition Creator, joined by:

• DH Harvey
• Andrew Constantine
• Richard Healing
• Sandy Smyth (petitions.number10.gov.uk/notocannabis)
• Mr Partis (petitions.pm.gov.uk/NHS-dentists4all/)
• Nat Queen
• Terence Welsh
• T. Heyes
• Darren Pile
• L Whincop
• Michael Holland
• Tony Wright
• Tom
• Oliver Gee
• Neville George
• W Baskeyfield
• Alex Blainey
• Stan Blundell
• Terry Lowe
• Keith Oakes
• Phil Healey
• Steve Childs
• C INSTONE
• gary w smith
• Colin Steer
• Alan Moulding
• john biggs
• Dr Anthony Clowes
• Thomas Cox
• Christopher Jack Courtenay
• Joanne Edwards
• mary fulker
• carole underwood
• Debra McLean
• Derick Stirling
• Emma Pearson
• Li Webster
• ANDREW WESTWELL
• Lee Bailey
• Colin Harris
• Mrs M Garner
• Julie Downing
• A Worger
• ELSIE BRINDLE
• Martyn Carter
• Charlotte McCulloch
• Alexander Buckley
• Nigel Goodwin
• Miss A L Ryan
• Stephen Booth
• Jade Hamnett
• Janine Hesp
• Paula Glover
• Katie Kiely
• Steve Oliver
• D. Ghose
• Ruth Hamnett
• Anita Johnson
• matt grenfell
• sue carpenter
• julie devenport
• Cynthia Jane Birh
• Kerry Jefferson
• John Cross
• Catherine Ebenezer
• mark jones
• Joanne Simpson
• Sandra Bamber
• andrew janes
• Kimberley Wright
• louise
• Charlotte Gazzard
• GARRY JACKSON
• Professor Joseph Chikelue Obi
• Judith Del Ry
• n.ireland
• Emma Fallows
• jess hart
• Sandra Isted
• Pravin Khatri
• Jayshri Khatri
• Savan Khatri
• devendra khatri
• Simon Nicklin
• kathleen ivy ceney
• Helen Johnson
• Jacqueline Woodcock
• Justine Sutton
• ROB NICHOLSON
• d Henderson
• Nichola Beech
• Rob Hudson
• Mr. Lee Thorogood
• Peter Lamond
• Jackie Davis (1 of the 12% who have to pay)
• Abby Hughes
• Sophia Hurst
• P Glenn
• Colin Taylor
• j.horsman
• F. Battagliola
• Adam Campbell
• Francis Baker
• Terence Wilding
• Lawrence Nicholls
• Adam Marshall
• gwen dixon
• Melanie Chalfont-Griffin
• David Antwis
• P Deeley
• Ahmad Daryaei
• Tim Fletcher
• Stanley Fletcher
• nICOLE sHIPP
• Toni Cook
• WILLIAM DAWN
• Karen Allsop
• Barbara Fermoy
• Nadia Cassim
• Dr Tunde Bammeke
• Susana
• David C Brown
• John Gerrard
• Phil Roscaleer
• R J Lancaster
• kim jones
• Marc Sutton
• Graham Crompton
• Chris Docherty
• judith ewington
• Steffan Kenward
• sabita clark
• Lauren Kearns
• j ratcliffe
• Jenni Rotherham
• Sheena Johnson
• Izhar
• Rachael Lawler
• natalie crompton
• Raymond Todd
• Richard Gretton
• sharon evans
• elizabeth boldy
• Faiza Hadi
• Andy CHarles
• K Johnston
• Gemma Jackson
• Dennis Rye
• Mike Wilson
• Ann Woods
• Madeline Selfe
• Hitesh Patel
• Samuel Craig
• S Hastings
• Samantha Scriven
• David Huw Wisdom
• Natalie Lydford
• Carole Evans
• Simon Wadsworth
• Victoria Shaw
• Bernadette Catherine Brooks
• Stephen Newton
• Gregory Wake
• Storm Moult
• Megan Light
• Peter Tong
• Maggie Towner
• Catherine West
• Jemma Anderson
• Helen Brienza
• Neil Goosey
• Andrew Wright
• ann brown we r not cash cows
• Caren Reid
• Debra Rees
• Ann Duignan
• debora homer
• debra McLean
• Martin Mapes
• charlotte bent
• James Edward Tarlton
• Erminia Ciarleglio
• Louise Creed
• E. Gillespie
• Kimberley Allen
• David Lawson
• Ron Dempster
• Roger Day
• Mel Mays
• PETER HOWARD
• David Hinder