Last week, the National Union of Students launched its campaign for free healthcare for students. We are calling for students to be exempt from charges for prescriptions, dental care and eye tests, writes Gemma Tumelty
The current claims process for exemptions is bureaucratic and confusing, and has resulted in an unfair and inaccessible system for students. The Department of Health recognised this and ministers began a review of NHS charges in 2006.
While prescription charges have risen, so has student debt. Yet the number of students applying for the exemption has been falling for more than 10 years. Evidence shows that students often do not seek healthcare when they need it because of the restrictive costs and the poor provision of information. Nor does it help that those who need it most - the students who often have the highest loans - are less likely to qualify for help as the loan they receive as part of their student support package counts as income.
Students under 19 in full-time education are automatically exempt from payment, as are low-income groups, which most students would automatically fall into. However, to get an exemption, you must apply for it annually through a complicated and lengthy HC1 form. The student will then be told if they will receive a full or partial exemption from healthcare costs.
A 2004 NUS survey found that more than half of the student sample polled did not know whether they could qualify for free prescriptions, dentist treatment or sight tests. Eight out of 10 students had not applied to the Prescription Pricing Authority for help with healthcare costs under the low-income scheme, and almost 95% had not applied for a pre-payment certificate.
This is obviously not due to the fact that students do not need the additional support. Students are on low incomes and should automatically receive the support rather than risk having to choose between food, books and healthcare.
Students in Wales already have free prescriptions, and in Scotland ministers have promised to reform the system and introduce exemptions for students.
It is manifestly unfair that students studying in England do not have that commitment from Westminster.
Sir Peter Soulsby, Labour MP for Leicester South, agrees with us and has put down an early day motion in the House of Commons. So far 42 other MPs have signed it and we are currently generating thousands of signatures from students to back up our case to the health minister.
Given that last week, the DoH announced that prescription charges would increase by another 20p from April 1, more than ever students and others need to lobby their MP, which you can do here, for a system that removes the current prescription of complexity and poor support.
