DoH: Free prescriptions available to cancer patients

People suffering from cancer are eligible to apply for free prescriptions that will be available from April 1st, it has emerged.

According to the Department of Health (DoH), the initiative – first announced in September last year – will allow patients undergoing treatment to pay nothing for necessary medication.

The organisation added up to 150,000 cancer patients will benefit from the scheme and patients have until March 24th to ensure their applications are processed in time for April 1st.

Commenting on the initiative, public health minister Dawn Primarolo said it gave people suffering from the condition “one less worry at such a difficult time”.

She added: “I would urge patients to make an appointment with their GP from this week to talk about applying for their exemption certificate.”

Chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support Ciaran Devane added the organisation was “delighted” at the abolishing of prescription charges.

Last month, the DoH said figures from the Health Protection Agency had found MRSA infections are falling.

The statistics found there was a 13 per cent decrease in MRSA bloodstream infections in England between July and September.