Health Committee chairperson, Derry Sinn Fein MLA Maeve McLaughlin..
Health Minister Edwin Poots has been called to clarify his position on the reintroduce prescription charges in order to fund the purchase of drugs for cancer treatment.
The call comes from Derry Sinn Fein MLA, Maeve McLaughlin, chairperson of the Stormont Health Committee, who criticised the Minister for revealing on Twitter that consideration was being given to reintroducing prescription charges of up to £25 a year per person to pay for a cancer drugs fund here.
However, Ms McLaughlin hit out at the Minister, stating “rolling out his policy ideas on Twitter is not the way to do business.”
She added: “I’m concerned that the Health Minister is being cynical and using the genuine suffering of cancer patients in an effort to distract attention away from his mismanagement of the health budget. ”
“Seeking a pre-determined outcome to his consultation paper at the Executive is not the way to do business.
“Seeking to reinstate prescription charges when there is already money available through Pharmaceutical Price Regulation scheme is not the way to do business.
“Edwin Poots’ suggestion that the reintroduction of prescription charges would be the panacea to making these specialist drugs available is in my opinion quite frankly unfair to those who have been touched by cancer.”
Ms McLaughlin said Mr Poots had a number of questions to answer about how such a scheme would be administered.
She added: “It’s nonsense to suggest that a payment of £25 for a millionaire sits beside a family on a low income paying £25.”
Ms McLaughlin concluded: “And Edwin Poots must make it clear does he intend to bring in further charges if treatments become available for other debilitating illnesses such as Motor Neurone Disease?”
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