# 'Free Calpol on the NHS': Parents react with delight



## Northerner (May 20, 2015)

Thousands of parents have reacted with delight to the news they may be entitled to free Calpol for their children after a mother’s Facebook post went viral.

The NHS Minor Ailment scheme, introduced roughly ten years ago, allows patients from lower incomes with minor ailments to receive basic medications free from some local pharmacists without seeing a doctor.

Five days ago Christine Davidson posted on Facebook that “if you register your details with them under the 'minor ailments scheme' that all medicines etc. for children are free.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...others-facebook-post-goes-viral-10263893.html


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## Redkite (May 21, 2015)

This just annoys the hell out of me - the NHS can't afford this scheme.  Paracetamol etc can be bought extremely cheaply if you buy supermarket own brands.


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## Pumper_Sue (May 21, 2015)

Redkite said:


> This just annoys the hell out of me - the NHS can't afford this scheme.  Paracetamol etc can be bought extremely cheaply if you buy supermarket own brands.



I agree 100%


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## Northerner (May 21, 2015)

*What's the truth about free NHS Calpol?*

It all started with a post from a mum on Facebook and led to a huge hike in hits on the NHS Choices website.

When buying some Calpol in a large pharmacy chain, the poster said she had discovered, to her "amazement" that "if you register your details under the 'minor ailments scheme', all medicines etc for children are free".

She added: "They are not allowed to advertise it, but you can save a small fortune on Calpol, Piriton, Sudocrem, plasters etc. I wish I had known eight years ago!"

So, is it true?

For a start, pharmacists would not prescribe Calpol, they would give you the generic, unbranded equivalent, which is much cheaper and therefore less of a cost to the NHS.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32826874

Might actually save the NHS money...


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## trophywench (May 21, 2015)

Very often though - GPs do actually tell mothers of very young children - 'Give her/him some Calpol; if it's not better within however long, come back'

If a doctor said that to me - would I risk having cheaper stuff?  I don't think I would.  You know - you are scared to do that with babies and toddlers, even if you get it from the same chemist - perhaps the magic ingredient isn't in the cheap one?  Plus - generic stuff sometimes causes problems - eg people are OK on Glucophage SR but give them the generic extended release one (ISTR Bolamyn) and they have worse probs than they had on the ordinary Metformin in the first place.  Get it changed back to Glucophage and they are fine again.

I've been trying and trying since 1998 to persuade my step daughters to buy zinc and castor oil cream instead of Sudocrem for their kids - never a price issue for the older one - but definitely for the younger one.

Both her mother ,her grandmother and her dad have told her the same.  But she won't 'in case'.

How does she think SHE - or any of us - survived nappy-hood with intact buttocks and all the rest in full working order all these years, for God's sake !!


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## grovesy (May 22, 2015)

My local Commission body tweeted yesterday it does not commission the service in my area.


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## cherrypie (May 23, 2015)

Some inaccuracies were reported on the Facebook post.

This is what the NHS has to say.

Minor ailment scheme does not provide free Calpol for all.
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/05May/Pages/Minor-ailment-scheme-doesnt-provide-free-Calpol-for-all.aspx


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