LONDON, July 22 /PRNewswire/ --

A charity for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is seeking to highlight the fact that despite a commitment made a year ago, the Government has failed to find out the true cost of prescription charges.

This week marks 12 months with no action and now a coalition of charities including the MS Society believes the Government must act urgently to make prescriptions free for people with long-term conditions such as MS.

Ministers promised in July 2007 to consult the public on prescription charges, after launching a review of prescription charges in response to a Health Select Committee report in 2006.

But one year on, no consultation has been published and the review appears to have stalled. While the current system continues, millions of people with long-term conditions and disabilities are unfairly penalised by charges and many hundreds of thousands of patients are risking their health because they cannot afford their prescriptions.

Sara Walton, 42, from Essex, was diagnosed with MS in 2002. She works to help the family finances, but physically can't manage full-time hours so money is tight. A relapse in January this year meant she was unable to return to work until June. In that time, she had to spend GBP120 on medicines and now has to pay out around GBP20 per month as part of the financial burden of her MS.

Sara, 42, said: "Everything is dear now, but to have to pay out for prescriptions is the last thing you want to think about on top of the MS.

"Not only do I have to pay for prescriptions, but also all the other treatments that I get over the counter and we are literally struggling to pay the bills."

People with most long-term conditions currently have to pay prescription charges unless they qualify for free prescriptions on the basis of age or income, or have one of the few medical conditions that are exempt.

The list of medical conditions that entitle patients to free prescriptions was drawn up in 1968 and has not changed since.

As the cost of living increases, people with long-term conditions may be tempted to scrimp on seemingly unnecessary costs, creating a risk that they will damage their health by limiting their treatment.

As part of the coalition, the MS Society is calling on MPs to write to Health Secretary Alan Johnson to ask him to address concerns and keep to the promise to launch a consultation on options for change.

Dan Berry, head of Policy and Campaigns at the MS Society, said: "For people living with long-term conditions, prescription charges are yet another long-term financial burden on top of other costs associated with illness and disability, which can often include a lack of employment.

"The inaction of the Government is deplorable and we are calling on MPs to support the coalition and highlight the urgent need for the review of prescription charging."

Notes to Editors:

How would free prescriptions be funded?

- The NHS could save millions if it purchased and GPs prescribed generic drugs where appropriate rather than expensive branded drugs. The OFT report on the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) identified potential savings in the region of GBP500 million from just some major drug categories - far more than the GBP430 million raised by prescription charges. - The NHS can also do more to reduce drug wastage. The National Audit Office estimated the cost of drug wastage to the NHS was at least GBP100 million. - When patients cannot take essential medicines there is a hidden cost to the NHS if their conditions worsen and as a result they end up in hospital. Improving access to medication could create savings within primary care if more people were able to manage their conditions effectively.

The MS Society

- The MS Society (http://www.mssociety.org.uk) is the UK's largest charity dedicated to supporting everyone whose life is touched by MS, providing respite care, an award-winning freephone helpline (0808-800-8000), specialist MS nurses and funds around 40 vital MS research projects in the UK.

- Multiple sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological disorder affecting young adults and an estimated 85,000 people in the UK have MS.

- MS is the result of damage to myelin - the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system - which interferes with messages between the brain and the body.

- For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while for others it has a progressive pattern.

- Symptoms range from loss of sight and mobility, fatigue, depression and cognitive problems. There is no cure and few effective treatments.

Please contact the MS Society Press Office on +44-208-438-0840, or the out of hours duty press officer on +44-7909-851401