While on Britannia we heard many passengers talk about their cruises to the Baltic and as we both wanted at some point to visit Scandinavia and Russian and both are on the Baltic so that made it obvious what we should look for.
There aren't many cruises to the Baltic so we decided to book sooner than later if we wanted a specific cabin. We found a 14 night cruise to the Baltic on board P&O's Azura in June departing on a Sunday. The itinerary is departing from Southampton, Belgium, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Southampton.
We never book direct with P&O but through a cruise broker. We got an additional 2% off the P&O price. Best of all is that we were able to book our favourite cabin E225 and when we received confirmation we have been given an on board credit of £520. I knkow it is 11 months away but I can't help being a tiny bit excited!
Saturday 4 July 2015
Prescription medication to be stamped "Funded by UK taxpayer"
I'm starting not to want to turn on the breakfast TV as it seems there is aways something our government is trying to take, bring in or change and Thursday was no different. Today it was the turn of the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt who has proposed that a price tag is to be put on prescription medicines in the UK under a plan to cut waste in the NHS and reduce the £300 million bill for "wasted" prescription medication that is not used. All medicines over £20 will have an "Indicative cost" and "Funded by UK taxpayer" stamped on the packaging. This proposal is being rolled out in 2016.
In a speech to a local government association in Harrogate, Yorkshire Jeremy Hunt said that "This will not just be reduce by reminding people of the cost of medicine, but also improve patient care by boosting adherence to drug regimes" and also added "Everything we are proud of in the NHS is funded by taxpayers and every penny we waste cost patients more through higher taxes or reduced services" He also stated that "initiatives such as these aim to increase transparency, and fit into government to put increase awareness of cost and choices involved in public spending". Mr Hunt also stated that while integration of health and social care was vital to delivering high standard of health care. Personal responsibility needs to sit alongside system accountability.
I don't know about anyone else but I feel as if Jeremy Hunt is making a dig again at the most venerable people in society with this words "funded by taxpayers". I am currently taking 23 tablets a day, I have CP, chronic pain from spinal stenosis and a permanently damaged rotator cuff and Diabetes. It was a long process to find a pain medication regime that worked for me and this was done with my pain management clinic. The medication I am currently using has enabled me to take back a small part of my life. It means I am not bent over but can stand upright. I am still in pain daily but it is more manageable and I can enjoy life and smile. So how dare he try and make people like myself feel guilty.
I know there is a lot of concerns over the elderly and the fear is that they will worry about the cost they are causing the government and stop taking their medication.
Waste is something that will always happen because of things like allergic reaction and unused and unopened boxes that are destroyed, why not put them back into system or back to the companies of manufacture. Changes in dosage can create waste if you are part way through your prescription. These things cannot be helped. Am I going to think twice about asking for my repeat prescription when I see the price tag on my medication no and I don't see it will making a blind bit of difference to others.
In a speech to a local government association in Harrogate, Yorkshire Jeremy Hunt said that "This will not just be reduce by reminding people of the cost of medicine, but also improve patient care by boosting adherence to drug regimes" and also added "Everything we are proud of in the NHS is funded by taxpayers and every penny we waste cost patients more through higher taxes or reduced services" He also stated that "initiatives such as these aim to increase transparency, and fit into government to put increase awareness of cost and choices involved in public spending". Mr Hunt also stated that while integration of health and social care was vital to delivering high standard of health care. Personal responsibility needs to sit alongside system accountability.
I don't know about anyone else but I feel as if Jeremy Hunt is making a dig again at the most venerable people in society with this words "funded by taxpayers". I am currently taking 23 tablets a day, I have CP, chronic pain from spinal stenosis and a permanently damaged rotator cuff and Diabetes. It was a long process to find a pain medication regime that worked for me and this was done with my pain management clinic. The medication I am currently using has enabled me to take back a small part of my life. It means I am not bent over but can stand upright. I am still in pain daily but it is more manageable and I can enjoy life and smile. So how dare he try and make people like myself feel guilty.
I know there is a lot of concerns over the elderly and the fear is that they will worry about the cost they are causing the government and stop taking their medication.
Waste is something that will always happen because of things like allergic reaction and unused and unopened boxes that are destroyed, why not put them back into system or back to the companies of manufacture. Changes in dosage can create waste if you are part way through your prescription. These things cannot be helped. Am I going to think twice about asking for my repeat prescription when I see the price tag on my medication no and I don't see it will making a blind bit of difference to others.
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