Malcolm Offord edited a paper which urged a “dialogue” on introducing charges in the NHS and rolling back on free prescriptions in Scotland.
Reform UK’s soon-to-be leader in Scotland has been linked to calls to introduce patient charges in the NHS.
As reported in the Daily Record, Reform peer, Malcolm Offord, edited a paper for right-wing think tank the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) which urged a “dialogue” on introducing charges in the health service and rolling back on free prescriptions in Scotland.
Offord defected from the Tories to Reform last month and is expected to be announced as Reform’s leader in Scotland on Thursday this week.
The paper, called ‘Wealthy Nation, Healthy Nation’, said: “There needs to be a dialogue with the public about the acceptability of user charges for some services up to an annual ceiling, as in Sweden and Germany”.
The publication, which was published in September last year, compares health outcomes in Scotland with other countries, arguing that outcomes in Germany and Sweden are higher.
Germany requires people to have compulsory health insurance while in Sweden patient fees cover a small percentage of costs.
According to the paper, in Sweden, a visit to primary care (the GP equivalent) costs the patient between SEK 100 and SEK 300 (£7.50-£22) per visit for adults aged 20–85, while inpatient care is charged at £9 per day.
In Germany, patients pay €10-15 (£8.70-13) for a GP appointment, and can be liable to pay €10 a day for inpatient care.
The paper also advocates for the removal of free prescriptions for certain categories of medication, e.g. over-the-counter pain relief medicines, citing the high costs associated with these prescriptions.
Reform leader Nigel Farage has previously said that he would rethink the NHS’ funding model. In 2012, when Farage was leader of UKIP, he said “I think we’re going to have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare”.
Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: “This once again demonstrates that Reform cannot be trusted when it comes to our NHS. Nigel Farage’s party wants to scrap the NHS and make working people pay more by moving to an ‘insurance-based system of healthcare’. The people of Scotland will see right through Malcolm Offord.”
Green MSP Gillian Mackay told the Daily Record: “Reform is a clear and present threat to our NHS and public services. They aren’t just a Tory tribute act., they are much worse than that.
“Nigel Farage has made clear that he wants to go even further than the Tories dared to, and this paper makes it look like Malcolm Offord does too.
“Healthcare should never be dependent on your ability to pay for it. That goes against the founding principle of the NHS and the whole point of the system.
“Prescription charges are a tax on sickness and pain, and we must not roll back on them.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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