Abolishing prescription charges

There can be few people anywhere in the country who have not had experienced the National Health Service in operation, whether receiving treatment personally or knowing a loved one who has been helped. The NHS holds a special place in the hearts of many people, and in no small part this is down to the incredible work that the many nurses, doctors, health professionals and everyone else in the NHS do on our behalf.

However, that special significance of the NHS also comes from the principle that it represents. That everybody should be able to access medical treatment free at the point of access, because nobody chooses to require medical assistance and it is therefore wrong for personal wealth to determine whether or not you can access that help. It is a principle that we can all be proud of and it is one that is as relevant today as it was when it was first introduced.

The SNP are firm believers in the importance of the NHS and the principles underlying it, which is why we have take then decision to increase the health budget for next year despite the massive cuts that are being handed down to Scotland’s budget from Westminster. It is also why we moved ahead to complete our fulfilment of the promise we made at the last election to abolish prescription charges.

When prescription charges were introduced, they were a backwards step that moved away from the fundamental principle underlying the NHS. They were a tax on ill health which charged people for receiving medical treatment. Thousands of people on modest incomes have been hit financially and have had to face the choice of whether to pay for their treatment and have less money for other things or to forego that medical treatment to make sure they can pay their household bills. Prescription charges were wrong when they were introduced and they remain wrong today.

In the 2007 election, the SNP promised to lower prescription charges year on year before their total abolition. Those reductions have taken place and it is a promise which we have now completely fulfilled. A successful vote in the Scottish Parliament’s health committee recently was the final step that needed to be taken, and prescription charges will now be totally abolished from April 1st.

It is another manifesto commitment that the SNP is proud to have been able to deliver. That these are difficult times financially is not in question, but the principle that we as a society should provide healthcare to everyone who needs it is an important one. Without prescription charges, many people will now have more money in their pocket and I am delighted that their abolition is imminent.

Our own voice

It is a source of constant frustration that Scotland is denied the opportunity to stand up for our own interests in Europe on a regular basis. That is never more the case than when it comes to fishing.

Recent days saw a critical negotiation take place in Brussels on finding a solution to the problem of discards, yet as each member state was only allowed one representative Scotland was excluded from the discussion. Land locked states with no coastline, let alone any interest in fishing, were able to take part, while Scotland had to rely on the UK to hopefully make our case.

It is a situation which time and time again damages Scotland’s interests but which will only end when Scotland is independent. We need our own voice in international discussions as a matter of urgency.