?ALL medication is free for those with lifetime conditions - WHY

Government and Sense are an irresolvable contradiction,, a bit like Democracy and Freedom :D

It's a good job I get all meds free. I now have thyroid meds, but I'm asthmatic, have hay fever,

eczema, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, osteopenia & a yeast skin disorder.

After 38 years of working full time I lost my job thanks to my health. I'm not bad enough for DLA & thanks

to the changes in benefits I can't even claim sick pay.

My Husband lost his job at the same time, but he has a small pension. i am grateful for the free meds.

I have 3 inhalers, skin creams, thyroxine, calcium & daily meds for the fibromyalgia.

If I was still able to work---I'd be glad to pay.

You would get free meds as a person on a low income even if you didn't have a lifetime condition. So it's not exactly the same thing.

I don't understand why people who work get free meds for things that aren't to do with their condition.

In mad house Britain it's insane to think otherwise,, let's all sit in a circle and sing Kumbaya :D

The thing is--having certain conditions like thyroid disfunction, can lead to other health issues, like in my case.

Our income is low, but not low enough to qualify for anything & we've been topping up our living with savings for over 3 years. I worked for 38 years, earned my own money with odd jobs for 3 years before officially working (babysitting, pea pulling, shopping for elderly neighbours). I've paid my share into the system in contributions & taxes. Why the heck should a chronically ill person have to pay for meds when certain countries in the UK don't pay at all?

If I worked I wouldn't even have applied for free meds with the thyroxine. I'm not a greedy person & I had a very good job, hence the savings.

I like your style house!

I don't think the inequaity between countries in the UK is especially fair either.

And I did say I wasn't begrudging illnesses associated with any lifetime condition.

Surely your savings are for topping up in old age? Isn't that why people save? You're lucky you had a very good job that you can now reap the rewards of? Or should we supplement you now while you have money in the bank? That's pretty greedy.

I earn £13,000 a year and you're asking me to pay for you? I don't mind with your thyroid problem, or problems it cause. My partner also has a thyroid problem. I do object to paying for medication that isn't to do with your thyroid problem and isn't associated with it.

I paid into the system & took nothing out for 38 years. I worked with fibromyalgia for over 25 years, many people would've given up & gone on benefits (while they

were available--they're not so much these days).

I was only off work for only 11 weeks for having 1 child. I was hardly ever off sick & I never claimed sick pay. Most of the years I was self employed anyhow & I employed 40 staff at 1 time--adding to the economy.

Anything I'm getting now I have well & truly paid for it.

I saved my money instead of getting a private pension & I'm not at retirement age yet. I might have a long time to live--if I'm lucky.

You should be concentrating your efforts on people who really do bleed the system. Watch Jeremy Kyle on day time tv & write into the show.

So--you're not paying for my medications out of your 13 grand. It's well & truly paid for out of my hard graft for 38 years & my Husbands for 45. He's as fit as a lop & has also hardly ever been sick.

To repeat; I DO NOT begrudge you medication for you thyroid problem nor associated illnesses.

Congratulations on having a relatively normal working life and contributing to society.

However, I object to the fact that YOU get free medication for other things not related to your condition while other people in the same position as you have to pay for it. They have paid taxes but don't get any free medication. Surely if someone worked 38yrs and paid taxes etc ... and didn't have a lifetime condition, they should also get free meds as they have contributed to society?

Your argument now seems to be that you deserve all meds free (i already said i don't begrudge the ones for your condition) because you worked a long time and paid taxes. - That's a different issue.

I'm saying... if there are two people who have worked, paid taxes etc... have a toenail infection (for example) and one has an (unrelated) lifetime condition why should one person have to pay for medication while the other doesn't? It makes no sense.

While it would be lovely for everyone to get free medication the state cannot afford it - whether you like it or not that is a fact.

Also I expect you did take out of the system in 38 years - fire service, roads, NHS, police etc...

And yes... there are worse leeches on the system. This particular problem only just came to my attention.

I thank you for understanding where I'm coming from & I agree to a point about someone being able to get stuff they can buy over the counter, from their Doc because it''s free.

However--Doctors are responsible for some of this. Before I started with thyroid probs. My Doc often used to ask me if I got free prescriptions & would tailor his prescription because I didn't.

So I think Docs are guilty of adding trivial meds to patients prescriptions.

I'm just grateful that this system exists for me in my situation. I don't bother my GP for stuff I can

buy over the counter. I only see my GP yearly unless my asthma is bad. The rest I manage

myself by keep taking the tablets.

Like I said before--the Jezza Kyle brigade is a bigger drain on the country than the people with chronic health issues.

If you only knew the hardship people with chronic illness & disability now have to go through, you'd understand. When I 1st went off sick, the Disability Officer of the DWP apologised to me for what I was about to go through. He also blamed 2nd & 3rd generation sick claimants for the changes to benefits.

I had no idea what he was talking about, but believe me--belonging to a disability forum, there are many who are now struggling to live.

I consider myself very lucky to be in the situation I'm in. Have a good evening.

Excuse me--I have always paid for the police, fire service etc through my council tax. I also drive, so I pay my road tax for the roads I use.

I think I covered my NHS costs too-------more than!

You said you'd paid into the system for 38years and taken nothing out. I was pointing our that you have.

Ellie I don't think you understand the system. I don't take anything out by having access to the

police, fire service,bins, street lighting etc. I pay for the service with my taxes, just like I pay for my food, electric & gas.

My Husband still pays income tax on his pension & as we have both paid years more natiional

insurance contributions than we needed--I think I can safely say I've paid for any health costs I

have or have had in my life.

If we'd ever had housing benefit, then you could say we'd had something out of that system.

Although I've enjoyed this discussion I have nothing more to say on the matter--

I do understand . You paid into the system.... and took out through fire services etc....

You may well have paid more in than you have used/taken out.

My point was you cannot say that you haven't taken anything from the system in 38years... you paid in with your taxes and they provided services. It's not like you paid in and got nothing at all back. - That was my point.

You may well have paid enough in to cover everything you've had out. That wasn't my point. You implied you have used/taken/received nothing at all. Which is untrue if you've lived here. I'm not saying the state paid for anything for you. I hope you can understand my point as I don't know how else to say it.

Although I wonder if you appreciate the real cost of things.

Quite churlish to end the conversation without letting me reply especially after your continued misunderstanding of my point and downright patronising comments.

I might be younger than you it does not make me stupid.

I've found this discussion frustrating and I do not wish to hear from you again.

I've been patronising? Where? I never said you were stupid anywhere either.

Your discussion has sparked off something in me actually. Thinking about how much we've paid into the system--a collective 83 years & my Father before me (who worked from 14 to 77) has made me think differently. He had it right--he was a high earner, but poor saver--spending almost everything he had.

I think I'm going to follow his footsteps--saying adios to anything I've saved before the government,

local authority get their grubby mitts on it. I'm going to stop being daft & not asking for things on my prescription. I pay a lot for skin medication, bathing & otherwise due to the steroids. I'll ask for them next time I go & get them put on repeat.

You never said if your partner accepts more than the prescribed medication for the thyroxine? If not now--I bet it will happen if either of you loses an income.

There are worse issues than the chronically sick being able to get a few things free on the NHS.

Oooo--I bet you don't know people with any form of mental illness get a reduction in council tax? They still use the fire service, police, street lighting, bins etc.