This is a stupid debate, and symptomatic of the lax thinking which
pervades the NHS and doctors' dealings with it.
"The country cannot afford it and so it must be made private
prescription only..."
"it must be a consultant only drug..."
Dumb, doubleplus dumb.
If we are going to have it, and we are, the cheapest way of providing
it is through NHS prescription on the NHS.
Moving the money around, or even worse, adding work to the process
which the NHS must fund, does not save money or lives, indeed can be
relied upon to cost both.
What is required is an estimate of the cost, and the transfer of that
amount into the NHS for prescribing and managing this treatment.
I suggest an increase in tobacco tax, and a surcharge on non-basic
foods, since these are substances responsible for the trouble, and we
take too much of them as a population. Try a "fat tax" on all lipids.
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