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I've heard a vicious rumour that England is the only country within the UK to charge for prescriptions?

Amazing but true... Wales was first to drop its charges in 2007; Northern Ireland followed suit last year and as of 1 April (no joke), Scotland left us in the lurch and abolished all its prescription charges.

The news couldn't get much worse.

Ah! Then perhaps I shouldn't mention that, also on the same day as Scotland's announcement, England publicised that it has increased its charges by 20p. Each item on a prescription now costs £7.40. Again, not an April Fool!

Talk about rubbing salt in the rather expensive wound! Is there a reason for the charges?

When the charges were introduced in 1952, four years after the NHS was established, the aim was to put people off taking advantage of the health service and using it irresponsibly. If the public had to pay, the argument went, they might think more carefully when asking for antibiotics for a sniffle.

So how can the other UK countries afford to offer free prescriptions but we can't?

You'll have to ask the Tories and the Lib Dems, I'm afraid. The Scots put it down to the election of the Scottish National Party (SNP) - or, as I prefer to call them, 'So No Prescription Charges'.

Surely that's SNPC?

Be picky if you want, but the point remains that this is certainly a political party that has found a way to offer constituents either free or very cheap services.

You mean there's more? What else is on offer?

This is the fourth consecutive year that the SNP government has frozen council tax charges.

That's it! I'm moving to Scotland.

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