Opposition parties slam ‘humiliating shift’ as Tories make a U-turn and back free prescriptions

RUTH Davidson has backed free prescriptions in Scotland in a screeching U-turn for the Conservatives north of the Border.

In 2012 the Tory leader declared Scots were “paying with their lives” to keep the policy, but has now reversed her position ahead of the General Election.

She will also demand a crackdown of exactly what drugs taxpayers should pay for, signalling the NHS could stop handing out over-the-counter remedies like paracetamol if Miss Davidson is elected Scotland’s next First Minister.

The move was branded a “humiliating shift” last night as opponents lined up to claim Miss Davidson – who once called Holyrood’s free prescriptions policy a “publicly-funded bribe” – would “say anything to try to get elected”.

Miss Davidson said: “My job when I was elected leader in 2011 was to make the party fit to fight.

“We got the result last year [in the Scottish elections] that a lot of people didn’t expect. We had to prove that wasn’t a black swan moment.

“We’ve shown from the increase in our vote from last to year to this, that people are looking at us and saying they like us as a strong opposition, they like what we’re doing.

“The challenge for us now is to show we can be a credible alternative government for Scotland.”

But former First Minister Alex Salmond laid into Miss Davidson for the U-turn, saying: “Ruth Davidson used to describe free prescriptions as a ‘publicly funded bribe’ – but this Damascene conversion shows that even the Tories can reluctantly recognise that it is the SNP that pursues the right policies for Scotland.

“If the Tories want to ditch their nasty party image, they should be U-turning on their indefensible, cruel policies such as the bedroom tax, the rape clause, cuts to housing benefits and the graduate tax.”

Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar, said: “This is an embarrassing U-turn by the Tories.

“Ruth Davidson has shown once again she will do and say anything to try to get elected – but even now she won’t fully commit to ensuring everyone has access to the medicine they need.

“All this humiliating shift shows is that once again the Tories simply can’t be trusted on the NHS.”

The Tories say keeping free prescriptions could ease pressure on hospitals and called for a crackdown on expensive branded drugs to save cash.

NHS Scotland dispenses 100 million items every year at a cost of £1.3bn, spending £10.5m on paracetamol, £2.9m on aspirin, £1.6m on sun cream and £1.8m on shampoo.

Tory health spokesman Donald Cameron said: “There is no doubt at all that people in Scotland value the idea of free prescriptions. We have listened to them, and changed our policy.

“This is really about the future of the NHS, though. Medical technology is making leaps and bounds. Drugs are becoming ever-more sophisticated. Pharmacy services have the potential to help reduce the pressure on GPs and hospitals.

“But this has to be assessed thoughtfully. And it means thinking about when prescriptions are the right answer, and when they’re not. It can’t be right that the NHS spends £10m a year on over-the-counter drugs like paracetamol.”