0:00:08 > 0:00:11Good Evening.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Ten years of free prescriptions for everyone in Wales
0:00:13 > 0:00:16is a "long-term investment" in people's health.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19That's according to the Health Secretary Vaughan Gething -
0:00:19 > 0:00:23who says the policy has kept people out of hospital and cut
0:00:23 > 0:00:25overall NHS costs.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28But the Conservatives say the cost is still too high,
0:00:28 > 0:00:32and those who can afford it should pay for their medicine.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Rebecca John reports.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Wales became the first of the UK nations to make prescriptions
0:00:37 > 0:00:41free a decade ago today.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Northern Ireland and Scotland have since followed suit.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46The Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, says
0:00:46 > 0:00:49the policy is progressive, reducing hospital attendance
0:00:49 > 0:00:52and pressure on GPs.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54It's a celebration of our landmark policy that's
0:00:54 > 0:00:55made a real difference.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58People who used to worry about access to prescription
0:00:58 > 0:01:03medication, the cost of it, but a system that is much fairer.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05The old system didn't make sense for lots of people
0:01:05 > 0:01:07with chronic conditions.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09The income thresholds are much simpler.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10It's a cleaner system.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And, actually, we think it's cost-effective too.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15The Welsh government says, in 2015, the cost of free
0:01:15 > 0:01:17descriptions was ?593 million.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Only ?3 million more than the bill in 2007.
0:01:19 > 0:01:25But the Welsh Conservatives say apart from those with chronic health
0:01:25 > 0:01:29conditions higher rate tax should pay for their descriptions.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34Descriptions are a valuable part of the NHS.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37But what we should remember is there are huge pressures
0:01:37 > 0:01:39within the Welsh NHS, and actually, I don't think it's
0:01:39 > 0:01:48unreasonable for people who earn 40% tax to pay for their prescriptions
0:01:48 > 0:01:52When you can get Paracetamol on the NHS, and they cost 20 or 30p,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54surely, a small donation to pay for that would release more funds
0:01:54 > 0:01:58for valuable services in a service under pressure?
0:01:58 > 0:02:00The Welsh government says introducing a means tested system
0:02:00 > 0:02:03would take time and money.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05And there's no evidence it would lead to better outcomes.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats also
0:02:08 > 0:02:11support free prescriptions.
0:02:11 > 0:02:17Today prescription charges in England rose by 20p to ?8.60.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19But the Department of Health says due to exemptions,
0:02:19 > 0:02:2690% of prescriptions in England are also free.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28The operation is continuing through the weekend to recover
0:02:28 > 0:02:31a crashed helicopter in Snowdonia.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35The bodies of five people on board, who were all from the same family,
0:02:35 > 0:02:36were recovered yesterday.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Poor weather and the terrain of the Rhinog mountains has been
0:02:38 > 0:02:39hampering the efforts.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Police are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen or heard
0:02:43 > 0:02:51the helicopter in the Trawsfynydd area on Wednesday afternoon.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53A 28-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital
0:02:53 > 0:02:56following what police have described as a serious assault in Bangor.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59It happened in the early hours of this morning outside the Peep
0:02:59 > 0:03:01nightclub on Dean Street in the city.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03A 26-year-old local man has been arrested and is being question
0:03:03 > 0:03:05on suspicion of assault.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Officers are appealing for witnesses.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Drivers are being advised to plan their journeys
0:03:10 > 0:03:13with the closure of one of the Brynglas Tunnels on the M4
0:03:13 > 0:03:16westbound near Newport later this evening.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Traffic will be diverted until Monday morning.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22It's part of upgrading work and is the first of seven closures
0:03:22 > 0:03:30between now and the end of June affecting both of the tunnels.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Let's turn to sport now and in football Cardiff
0:03:32 > 0:03:35City were beaten 3 - 1 at Wolves in the Championship.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Newport County gave themselves some hope of avoiding relegation
0:03:39 > 0:03:42from League Two with a 1-nil win over Crawley.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46And there was a lunchtime kick-off for Wrexham in the National League.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48An early Olly Marx own goal saw them lose 1-nil to promotion-chasing
0:03:48 > 0:03:53Tranmere at the Racecourse.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Onto snooker and Mark Williams is through to the final
0:03:56 > 0:03:57of the China Open.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59The 2-time former World Champion beat Hossein Vafayee 6-1
0:03:59 > 0:04:03in their semi-final in Beijing.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Victory in tomorrow's final against Mark Selby will see Williams
0:04:06 > 0:04:07automatically qualify for the World Championships
0:04:07 > 0:04:11at the expense of fellow Welshman Ryan Day.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Rugby and Cardiff Blues kick-off in just over an hour
0:04:14 > 0:04:18in their European Challenge Cup quarter final at Gloucester.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Meanwhile , Ospreys players and staff had a run-out
0:04:21 > 0:04:24at the Principality Stadium earlier.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25They face Stade Francais in another quarter-final tomorrow.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28The match was switched away from the Liberty Stadium due
0:04:28 > 0:04:30to Swansea City's Premier League match at home to Middlesbrough
0:04:30 > 0:04:36which kicks-off tomorrow lunchtime.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Before I go let's take a look at the weather and tonight any
0:04:39 > 0:04:41showers will ease leading to a dry night.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43It will be a little chillier than recently though with some
0:04:43 > 0:04:45mist or fog patches too.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Tomorrow morning any of that early mist or fog will soon clear,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50leading to plenty of bright and sunny spells and it will feel
0:04:50 > 0:04:53warm in the light winds.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Highs of 14 celsius. Before I go let's take a look
0:04:56 > 0:04:59We're back around the same time tomorrow, enjoy your evening.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03From all of us here, goodbye.