Prescription promise must be honoured

SIR - It is a disgrace that Gordon Brown has not yet acted on his promise to abolish prescription charges for people with long-term conditions. The recession has devastated people s finances and many are making difficult and potentially dangerous d

SIR - It is a disgrace that Gordon Brown has not yet acted on his promise to abolish prescription charges for people with long-term conditions.

The recession has devastated people's finances and many are making difficult and potentially dangerous decisions not to purchase their medicines just so they can afford daily necessities, like food and heating.

This situation seems particularly unfair when prescription charges have been abolished in Wales and are being phased out in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

After well over a year, nothing has happened. I, for one, have not forgotten the commitment Mr Brown made in September 2008 and call on him to prove this was not just a 'politician's promise' by scrapping prescription charges for people with long-term conditions as soon as possible.

I also urge other readers to show Gordon Brown that we have not forgotten his promise, by signing the 'Prescription Promise' petition at www.prescriptionpromise.org

Philip Milton, Ilfracombe.