Cuts deny free medicine to poor
A VIRGIN Galactic crew blasts into space in a historic mission, paving the way for tourist astronauts.
It was the first time a manned spaceship built for private, paying passengers had reached space.
The flight only had a mannequin called Annie along for the ride, but it brought Sir Richard Branson’s dream of space tourism closer.
SpaceShipTwo took off on a carrier plane from Nevada at 7.11am, separating at 43,000ft. It hit space – 50 miles up – two minutes later.
After SpaceShipTwo and pilots Mark Stucky and CJ Sturckow got back to Earth, Branson declared: “This is a momentous day.” The test pilots’ view from space NHS cuts means many poorer families no longer get free medicine for ailments such as colds, skin conditions and allergies.
Just 43% of clinical commissioning groups in England have the minor ailments scheme, data released to The Pharmaceutical Journal under Freedom of Information laws shows.
Sandra Gidley, who chairs the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “It
Galactic craft separates from the carrier potentially means people on low incomes are forced to ‘eat or treat’.”
Sanjay Ganvir, of Green Light Pharmacy in London, where the scheme is being axed, added: “People have said, ‘If it comes to a choice, I’ll go without food so my kids get medicine’.”
NHS England insisted: “CCGs are able to commission minor ailment schemes where they make a difference.”