‘We’re being priced out of healthcare’

Ellen Kenyon-Peers, Waltham Forest Socialist Party

One in ten people have been forced to cut back on the medicines they need, according to a recent survey by Healthwatch. Sick and disabled people are avoiding picking up their prescriptions, and asking pharmacists: “What can I do without?”

It’s a reflection of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. In England, prescriptions cost £9.35 per item.

Those with long-term conditions, who use the prepayment certificate system, can also face fines. I spoke to two chronically ill people who had this issue. One had been given incorrect information about free prescription eligibility.

The other person I spoke to couldn’t afford to renew their certificate. When they picked up another prescription, they were charged £50. When they tried to appeal, it was escalated to £100! Adding insult to injury, literally.

Out of the people who have changed their regular prescriptions, 39% said it negatively affected their mental health. 35% said their physical health was impacted.

In addition to exorbitant heating bills, people face a record 16.7% rise in grocery prices. It’s a choice of ‘heating or eating’.

All this, combined with escalating numbers avoiding making GP appointments because of the associated costs, or refraining from buying over-the-counter medication to alleviate symptoms, will lead to further pressure on A&E, as patients are less able to recover at home.

The survey also showed that women are disproportionately affected – a statistic echoed in the pages of the Socialist, and our analysis of how cuts impact marginalised groups.

The ongoing privatisation of the NHS is compounded by Britain’s reliance on global pharmaceutical giants, which put eye-watering profits above our health and wellbeing.

Vaccine developer Pfizer doubled its profits during the Covid pandemic. NHS spending on medicine has gone up, on average, 5% each year since 2011.

Prescriptions are free in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Socialist Party fights for them to be free in England too.

And to stop profiteering bosses squeezing cash from our NHS, we fight for the renationalisation of our NHS, and the nationalisation of the pharmaceutical industry, under the democratic control of the working class, and for health workers to be given above-inflation pay rises.