Urgh, I haven’t been “ill” for about 3-4 years, but have been feeling really rough since last Friday. Started off with a sore throat, then a nose ‘tap’, and now I’m coughing up my lungs in an attempt to set them free. For most people respitory illnesses wouldn’t be so much of an issue, however when i was 7 years old I had pneumonia and lost a fifth of my lung capacity. Also had to put up with asthma all through my childhood…yay!

Anyway, I finally got an appointment at the local doctor’s surgery yesterday - a difficult enough task in itself as their computer system is broken at the moment, meaning it’s more like a free for all between elderly women with machine gun coughs, young children who scream and screech for no apparent reason and businessmen trying to look suave in their suits. I can assure you, it’s great fun!

The duty doctor decided to prescribe four items for me, tablets and an inhaler. Which brings me onto the whole point in this post. What the hell is up with prescription charges? £6.85 per item? Hahahaha - what?! It cost me £27.40 yesterday. I pay my National Insurance, I pay my taxes, I’m rarely ill, why am I being charged for struggling to breathe?

Luckily there would be a benefit if I was constantly ill and needed medication monthly. You are able to get a pre-paid certificate which is the equivalent cost of 4-5 items (£32), and will get you all your prescription medication for a four month period. Useful for the constantly ill, but of no great benefit to people like myself.

I can’t wait to be conned out of more money by the Government soon…