Can I be fined for not filling in an NHS form correctly?
Discussion
Every once in a while I buy a 3-monthly Prescription Prepayment certificate when I have a bundle of prescriptions all at once.
I was recently sent 2 separate enquiry letters in quick succession from the NHS Business Services Authority about 2 prescriptions I claimed under a certificate for last October - December. Each letter said they could not find any evidence I was entitled to "free prescription charges".
I emailed the "Prescription Exemption Checking Team" for each enquiry attaching a copy of my October - December prepayment certificate showing that the prescriptions they were querying were withing the prepayment start and end dates. (I normally don't keep copies, but for some reason I did so and am glad I did!). I thought that would be it.
They then emailed back saying my birth date on the prepayment certificate did not match my GP records, and demanded photographic proof of ID, which I sent (passport scan).
I heard no more about either enquiry, then a few days ago got a penalty charge notice in the post for £122.20 (£93.50 penalty plus 2 prescriptions). On the back it said I had received the charge due to "your personal details on your exemption certificate do not match those taken from your prescription".
All I can assume is I made a keystroke error entering my birth date online when buying the prepayment certificate. Apart from their annoying insistence on using the words "exemption" and "free prescriptions" in their correspondence for a pre-payment certificate that costs £30, surely the slip of a finger is insufficient grounds for a penalty charge? The fact they accepted payment and issued the certificate in the first place must count for something?
I was recently sent 2 separate enquiry letters in quick succession from the NHS Business Services Authority about 2 prescriptions I claimed under a certificate for last October - December. Each letter said they could not find any evidence I was entitled to "free prescription charges".
I emailed the "Prescription Exemption Checking Team" for each enquiry attaching a copy of my October - December prepayment certificate showing that the prescriptions they were querying were withing the prepayment start and end dates. (I normally don't keep copies, but for some reason I did so and am glad I did!). I thought that would be it.
They then emailed back saying my birth date on the prepayment certificate did not match my GP records, and demanded photographic proof of ID, which I sent (passport scan).
I heard no more about either enquiry, then a few days ago got a penalty charge notice in the post for £122.20 (£93.50 penalty plus 2 prescriptions). On the back it said I had received the charge due to "your personal details on your exemption certificate do not match those taken from your prescription".
All I can assume is I made a keystroke error entering my birth date online when buying the prepayment certificate. Apart from their annoying insistence on using the words "exemption" and "free prescriptions" in their correspondence for a pre-payment certificate that costs £30, surely the slip of a finger is insufficient grounds for a penalty charge? The fact they accepted payment and issued the certificate in the first place must count for something?
55palfers said:
Hmm.
So NHS are saying that someone, with the same name as you, at the same address as you, sharing the same GP and having an exemption certificate covering the same period and paid for by you from your IP address is a completely different person?
I assume GP d.o.b. record is correct?
Yes they are being a total pain in the arse. They wrote to me and then asked me to confirm my address So NHS are saying that someone, with the same name as you, at the same address as you, sharing the same GP and having an exemption certificate covering the same period and paid for by you from your IP address is a completely different person?
I assume GP d.o.b. record is correct?
Loose_Cannon said:
Thats a good idea I never thought of that, being set up 50 odd years ago by my parents I have just assumed that as correct!
It’s printed on the prescription form, the pharmacy will print that out to dispense it, so you could ask them very nicely to check your records. If they give you a paper repeat prescription request form it may be printed out on that too.
If they do press for payment, you could try asking your MP to get involved. Public sector organisations hate enquiries from MPs.
Although I seem to recall a recent kerfuffle that they don't auto-renew the annual passes in the year before people are 60, which then catches people out in the few months before their birthday, and they refused to back down.
Although I seem to recall a recent kerfuffle that they don't auto-renew the annual passes in the year before people are 60, which then catches people out in the few months before their birthday, and they refused to back down.
Sheepshanks said:
If they do press for payment, you could try asking your MP to get involved. Public sector organisations hate enquiries from MPs.
Although I seem to recall a recent kerfuffle that they don't auto-renew the annual passes in the year before people are 60, which then catches people out in the few months before their birthday, and they refused to back down.
They did the opposite for my wife - auto-renewed it two months after her 60th birthday. Although I seem to recall a recent kerfuffle that they don't auto-renew the annual passes in the year before people are 60, which then catches people out in the few months before their birthday, and they refused to back down.
Sheepshanks said:
Public sector organisations hate enquiries from MPs.
Do they? I wouldn't trust my MP with a sharpened pencil, never mind try and do something on my behalfLoose_Cannon said:
Every once in a while I buy a 3-monthly Prescription Prepayment certificate when I have a bundle of prescriptions all at once.
I was recently sent 2 separate enquiry letters in quick succession from the NHS Business Services Authority about 2 prescriptions I claimed under a certificate for last October - December. Each letter said they could not find any evidence I was entitled to "free prescription charges".
I emailed the "Prescription Exemption Checking Team" for each enquiry attaching a copy of my October - December prepayment certificate showing that the prescriptions they were querying were withing the prepayment start and end dates. (I normally don't keep copies, but for some reason I did so and am glad I did!). I thought that would be it.
They then emailed back saying my birth date on the prepayment certificate did not match my GP records, and demanded photographic proof of ID, which I sent (passport scan).
I heard no more about either enquiry, then a few days ago got a penalty charge notice in the post for £122.20 (£93.50 penalty plus 2 prescriptions). On the back it said I had received the charge due to "your personal details on your exemption certificate do not match those taken from your prescription".
All I can assume is I made a keystroke error entering my birth date online when buying the prepayment certificate. Apart from their annoying insistence on using the words "exemption" and "free prescriptions" in their correspondence for a pre-payment certificate that costs £30, surely the slip of a finger is insufficient grounds for a penalty charge? The fact they accepted payment and issued the certificate in the first place must count for something?
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/contact-nhs-help-health-costsI was recently sent 2 separate enquiry letters in quick succession from the NHS Business Services Authority about 2 prescriptions I claimed under a certificate for last October - December. Each letter said they could not find any evidence I was entitled to "free prescription charges".
I emailed the "Prescription Exemption Checking Team" for each enquiry attaching a copy of my October - December prepayment certificate showing that the prescriptions they were querying were withing the prepayment start and end dates. (I normally don't keep copies, but for some reason I did so and am glad I did!). I thought that would be it.
They then emailed back saying my birth date on the prepayment certificate did not match my GP records, and demanded photographic proof of ID, which I sent (passport scan).
I heard no more about either enquiry, then a few days ago got a penalty charge notice in the post for £122.20 (£93.50 penalty plus 2 prescriptions). On the back it said I had received the charge due to "your personal details on your exemption certificate do not match those taken from your prescription".
All I can assume is I made a keystroke error entering my birth date online when buying the prepayment certificate. Apart from their annoying insistence on using the words "exemption" and "free prescriptions" in their correspondence for a pre-payment certificate that costs £30, surely the slip of a finger is insufficient grounds for a penalty charge? The fact they accepted payment and issued the certificate in the first place must count for something?
Give them a ring.
Prescription Exemption Checking Service (penalty charges)
Contact us
Telephone: 0300 330 9291
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm and Saturday, 9am to 3pm.
or challenge it here https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-penalty-charge/
Edited by pavarotti1980 on Monday 6th March 16:50
Edited by pavarotti1980 on Monday 6th March 16:54
pavarotti1980 said:
Sheepshanks said:
Public sector organisations hate enquiries from MPs.
Do they? I wouldn't trust my MP with a sharpened pencil, never mind try and do something on my behalf"Local MP supports constituent in NHS form nightmare" for local rag...
Loose_Cannon said:
Paul Dishman said:
That’s the first thing to check
Thats a good idea I never thought of that, being set up 50 odd years ago by my parents I have just assumed that as correct! pavarotti1980 said:
or challenge it here https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-penalty-charge/
It speaks volumes about how often the NHS must get this stuff wrong, if they have a dedicated website already setup for people to challenge invalidly applied fees!markjmd said:
It speaks volumes about how often the NHS must get this stuff wrong, if they have a dedicated website already setup for people to challenge invalidly applied fees!
Glass is half full: Yay an easy to access web site to make a complaint (against an organisation with a massive volume of transactions)Glass is half empty: Wow they must get a lot of stuff wrong to warrant a web site
pavarotti1980 said:
or challenge it here https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-penalty-charge/
Thankyou for that, sorted. It gave a field to enter the pre-payment certificate number and said "exemption found".What annoys me is they have never told me exactly what discrepancy was, and which prescriptions were the "problem". They identified and enquired about 2, but I would easily have made 4 possibly 6 otherwise whats the advantage of a pre payment cert?
Honestly if the NHS are going to go after anyone making a key stroke error on a web form, or ticking the wrong 4mm square box on the back of a faintly printed prescription slip they are going to be very busy ()or is that the point?).
Its also made me think more carefully about keeping records......I've had a dozen of these prepayment certs over the last few years, once they expire I sling them. I can't imagine the extra layer of hassle if I had needed to ask THEM for a old copy!
markjmd said:
It speaks volumes about how often the NHS must get this stuff wrong, if they have a dedicated website already setup for people to challenge invalidly applied fees!
That same website also allows you to pay as well as challenge. Also prescription fraud is massive (intentional and unintentional)Loose_Cannon said:
Thankyou for that, sorted. It gave a field to enter the pre-payment certificate number and said "exemption found".
What annoys me is they have never told me exactly what discrepancy was, and which prescriptions were the "problem". They identified and enquired about 2, but I would easily have made 4 possibly 6 otherwise whats the advantage of a pre payment cert?
Honestly if the NHS are going to go after anyone making a key stroke error on a web form, or ticking the wrong 4mm square box on the back of a faintly printed prescription slip they are going to be very busy ()or is that the point?).
Its also made me think more carefully about keeping records......I've had a dozen of these prepayment certs over the last few years, once they expire I sling them. I can't imagine the extra layer of hassle if I had needed to ask THEM for a old copy!
90% + prescription are free of charge due to exemption. Within that there is a huge amount of fraud so NHSBSA are set up to identify and chase the miscreants who think they can get away with it. obviously that means the unintentional errors flag up but are treated the sameWhat annoys me is they have never told me exactly what discrepancy was, and which prescriptions were the "problem". They identified and enquired about 2, but I would easily have made 4 possibly 6 otherwise whats the advantage of a pre payment cert?
Honestly if the NHS are going to go after anyone making a key stroke error on a web form, or ticking the wrong 4mm square box on the back of a faintly printed prescription slip they are going to be very busy ()or is that the point?).
Its also made me think more carefully about keeping records......I've had a dozen of these prepayment certs over the last few years, once they expire I sling them. I can't imagine the extra layer of hassle if I had needed to ask THEM for a old copy!
Edited by pavarotti1980 on Tuesday 7th March 09:19
Loose_Cannon said:
If by treated the same you mean that return emails containing requested evidence of entitlement and legitimate questions go unanswered (or, as also happened, blocked for a couple of days because the NHSBSA inbox was full) then everyone is in for a fun time.
Their inbox being full does not surprise me in the slightest. But everyone will be treated the same. You will more than likely be the exception to the rule in it being issued and providing evidence to the contrary. If a person is willingly avoiding prescription charges they will avoid paying the penalty too. Prescription fraud is about £200m per year (21m prescriptions). That would fund a large hospital with drugs for a year
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