Free medicine lifeline for families

I'm sure many readers will be surprised to learn that it has been 14 years since the SNP Scottish Government scrapped prescription charges in Scotland.

- Natalie Don SNP MSP for Renfrewshire North and West

The latest figures from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre highlight the impact this has had on local households, with over 113 million prescriptions (including 26,355,740 by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde) dispensed in Scotland in 2023/24meaning that on average people in Scotland received 20.8 prescriptions.

This means that based on the £9.90 charge currently in place in England, the average household in Scotland saved £436.72 in 2023/24 because of this SNP policy, ensuring that patients can access the prescriptions they require to keep them healthy. In contrast, a report by Trussell Trust last year showed that in England, 68 per cent of working households receiving Universal Credit have gone without essentials such as prescription medication due to the costs involved.

Although the SNP believes that healthcare should be free at the point of use for everyone, including having access to the medication they require, that isn't the case with other political parties.