NHS charges branded "a mess"

The system of National Health Service charges has been branded "a mess" by a committee of MPs.

The Commons Health Select Committee called for a review of the system, which covers prescription and eye test costs, dental care, parking fees and phone costs.

The report suggested that hospital parking fees should be scrapped for those who require daily treatment and reduced for those who attended hospital regularly, with 'season tickets' being made available for frequent visitors.

The committee also called for a reassessment of the medical exemption list for prescription charges, which was criticised as being outdated and confusing.

Bedside phone charges were also criticised for being too expensive.

Labour MP Kevin Barron, chair of the committee, said: "The system of NHS charges needs to change, but first we need to know how the charges interact with health."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said that the report's recommendations would be studied carefully, but stressed that the current system of prescription charges was not in a mess and that more than 87% of NHS prescription items were dispensed free of charge.

On the subject of parking charges, the spokesperson said that hospitals should be able to continue to charge for parking, but should not "fleece patients unfairly".

The report was welcomed by Macmillan Cancer Support. Chief Executive Peter Cardy said: "It is unacceptable for patients to pay hundreds of pounds in parking charges to attend hospital for treatment so the committee's recommendation for reduced, or free, parking charges is great news.

"We believe the government must act now and introduce clear, enforceable regulations to ensure free parking for all cancer patients who have to visit hospital regularly for treatment.

"Cancer patients must no longer be forced to pay to attend hospital for life-saving treatment. Cancer treatment involves a lot of expensive machinery - a hospital parking meter should not be one of them."

However, Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents over 90% of NHS organisations, said: "We agree with the Health Select Committee that the current system of charges for NHS patients is confusing and a major concern for both patients and their visitors.

"We need a national debate about how money is spent in the NHS, what patients can expect for free, and what can be charged for. The system must be transparent and understandable to everyone.

"On car-parking, NHS hospitals often have a very limited supply of space and are unable to provide free parking for all patients. They can also fall prey to unscrupulous shoppers who take advantage of free parking in hospitals. This is why charges are used as a way of managing demand."

Dr Morgan stressed that many hospitals had established schemes for patients who are receiving ongoing treatment to ensure that they receive free or reduced rate car parking.

(KMcA)