South and East Belfast Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Maskey welcomes prescription charges move

Published: 1 January, 2009

South Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey has welcomed the reduction of prescription charges from £6.85 to £3 from Thursday (1st January) by the Health Minister Michael McGimpsey. This move comes ahead of the abolition of prescription charges in the North of Ireland by 2010.


Alex Maskey MLA said,

"This implementation of a reduction in prescription charges from £6.85 to £3.00 by the Health Minister Michael McGimpsey will be warmly welcomed particularly in the current economic climate. It will make the burden of those suffering illness who need constant medication a lot lighter.


"Sinn Féin had launched a campaign over a year ago to see that inequalities in health provision were removed and we support the Minister in the delivery of this project.


"As we stand many people on low incomes, including cancer sufferers, were forced to choose between what medicines they could actually afford to get on prescription. This obviously had a very adverse affect on the ability to treat illnesses.


"The move to abolish charges by April 2010 will go some way to addressing health inequalities bringing everybody to the same level and ensuring that its not only a case of those who can pay getting full treatment."

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