REVIEW OF NHS CO-PAYMENTS BY PROFESSOR MIKE RICHARDS

Early day motion 1818, tabled 17 June 2008 by John Baron (Conservative). Signed by 118 members.

That this House welcomes the review announced by Government of the long-standing policy on NHS co-payments to be led by Professor Mike Richards; affirms that the NHS should continue to strive to optimise health outcomes for patients wherever this is possible; believes that the current ban on co-payments is cruel, because it can result in NHS care being withdrawn from dying patients, and illogical, because co-payments already exist in some parts of the NHS; notes that, under co-payments, no public money need leave the NHS to enable patients to obtain part of their treatment not currently available in the NHS; therefore believes that co-payments can assist one patient without harming the prospects of any other NHS patient; and calls on Professor Richards to take these factors into consideration in compiling his report.

Signatures by party: Conservative 75, Liberal Democrat 28, Labour 10, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, DUP 1, Independent 1, UUP 1.