Evening Telegraph: News: "Dundee appeal over prescriptions
Dundee’s Anti Poverty Forum is calling for local MSPs to back the Scottish Socialist campaign to abolish NHS prescription charges.
In a bulletin sent to their members and local MSPs today, the forum said they believe the argument for abolition has been convincingly won and applaud MSPs Kate MacLean and Shona Robison for supporting it.
Jim MacLean, from the Dundee Anti Poverty Forum, said, “We are urging the other list MSPs to follow the example of their colleagues and support the abolition of prescription charges.”
In Dundee there are 10,000 people suffering long-term sickness and in receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disability allowance, and the Anti Poverty Forum believes that thousands of Dundonians would benefit from the abolition.
The SSP claims that 75,000 Scots go without some or all of the medicine they require because of the cost of prescriptions, currently ?6.50 each.
The party believes prescription charges undermine the core principal of the NHS — a service free to all in need.
At Holyrood on Wednesday, the health committee endorsed the general principles of the Bill brought forward by SSP leader Colin Fox.