The medical think tank, Reform, has released a report suggesting that increasing the price of prescriptions from £7.85 to £10, and the cost of a Prescription Prepayment Certificate from £104 to £120, could save the NHS up to £130 million a year.
The most radical change suggested would be to move to a French-style system. This would mean that only 20 per cent of drugs would be dispensed free of charge, for example to people on low incomes. The prescription charge itself would drop from £7.85 to £3. Reform has estimated that this could raise an additional £1.4 billion a year.
Charging for other healthcare services such as GP service could also be an option, the think tank said, which could help to finance extended hours and weekend consultations. The report notes other countries that charge for consultations include France and Sweden.
To read the full report visit: http://www.reform.co.uk/resources