Alliance hails victory in their prescription charges' campaign

12.30.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 29th Sep 2008

Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA

Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has welcomed today's news that prescription charges are to be scrapped and said it was Alliance who led the campaign by raising the issue first in the Assembly, in their motion last year. Kieran McCarthy proposed a motion on 15 May 2007 calling for a review into prescription charges, which led the Minster to commission the review which brought about today's announcement.

The Opposition MLA stated: "The Alliance Party brought this issue to the Assembly in a motion last year, and we are very pleased that our campaign has been successful.

"This is a victory for local people and a victory for Alliance. It shows how we as the Opposition are holding the Executive to account and ensuring delivery for the public.

"This is a great day for our health service. I am very glad to see that the public will soon be able to get medicine as well as medical treatment free at the point of access.

"This move means that people who struggle to pay for important medicine to combat cancer and other long-term illnesses can now have some small element of peace of mind in future.

"We led the charge for free prescriptions. Our campaign has been vindicated by today's announcement. Let's see the Executive parties deliver on more issues for local people. Northern Ireland needs a government that works, not one that won't even meet."

ENDS