Britain's NICE (National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence) recently rescinded its policy barring patients from top-up drug payments - that is patients purchasing life-saving prescription drugs privately while receiving routine NHS care. Prior to this change, official policy called for the withholding of NHS care to patients who purchased those drugs not available on the NHS.
As a result of this policy shift, patients are now lining up and demanding the government reimburse them for the out-of-pocket expenses they incurred buying these drugs privately.
Quite frankly, these patients have been grossly wronged by the NHS and they deserve to be compensated.
While NICE has reversed its policy on top-up payment, do bear in mind that Britons are obligated to sustain the expenses "associated with the extra drugs they buy." That includes scans, tests, use of NHS staff time, etc. In other words, patients are still being kicked while they're down by the NHS.
The more things change, more they remain the same.
As a result of this policy shift, patients are now lining up and demanding the government reimburse them for the out-of-pocket expenses they incurred buying these drugs privately.
Quite frankly, these patients have been grossly wronged by the NHS and they deserve to be compensated.
While NICE has reversed its policy on top-up payment, do bear in mind that Britons are obligated to sustain the expenses "associated with the extra drugs they buy." That includes scans, tests, use of NHS staff time, etc. In other words, patients are still being kicked while they're down by the NHS.
The more things change, more they remain the same.
NHS faces demands for refunds after U-turn on top-up drug payments
By Jenny Hope
November 5, 2008
November 5, 2008
The health service is set to face a string of compensation claims from cancer patients after its U-turn on top-up payments.
It comes after yesterday's landmark announcement that patients who buy their own life-extending medication will no longer lose their free NHS care.
Previously those who paid for drugs not available on the NHS were excluded from the health service.
