Free shopping vouchers for drug addicts in new NHS scheme

In a polarising move, the NHS will grant drug addicts £30 in shopping vouchers to convince them to get vaccinated.

17:44 09 April 2014

In a controversial scheme, the NHS is offering drug addicts £30 in shopping vouchers in exchange for getting vaccinations. 

 

Some experts agree that this should be rolled out nationally as researchers found that by giving drug addicts financial incentives they are far more likely to complete a course of hepatitis B vaccinations – protecting them against the disease. 

 

The authors of the study, which was published in the Lancet, said that this scheme will save NHS money in the long run as it can avoid treating patients for the disease which is common among the 250,000 heroin addicts in the UK. 

 

However, patients’ groups have blasted the scheme saying that diverting NHS funds to reward people who do not look after their health is simply not fair. 

 

Professor John Strang, from the National Addiction Centre at King’s College London, sees something good with the scheme. He said:  “I think there is likely to be disquiet which is why it is important to understand the nature of what is being done. If this was cash I would agree with the public anxiety ... but in the same way that a child suffering bed wetting might be given a star chart, this is about using incentives as a behavioural tool.”