Invoice for prescriptions from an a and e visit

[scooterbear]

I've received a letter this morning from the NHS invoicing me for 5 seperate prescription charges that I incurred during an a and e visit following a serious accident in December-drugs used during my immediate treatment in a and e. When did this become a thing?!
I will obviously pay it (I can just about afford it) and I still recognise that it's immensely good Value considering all the NHS resource I used (ambulance, drs, x ray, scans, etc etc). I was just a bit surprised as I've never heard of this sort of back dated prescription charging before?
What happens to people that need emergency treatment but can't afford the back dated prescription charges?

So drugs that were administered whilst you were in hospital? Are you a UK national/have right to remain?

For drugs they used immediately rather than for you to take home on discharge, no I didnt know that was a thing either! I'd be annoyed about the late notice, if they'd told you at the time you could have arranged a prepayment certificate.

Actually take a look at prepayment certificates . The 3 monthly one is £30 and you can backdate it I think though I'm not sure by how much.

This does not sound correct although I assume if they send you to hospital pharmacy after your visit to A&E for ongoing meds you would have to pay for your prescription if that is what you normally do, but you would normally pay at the time, not be sent invoice and it would just be the standard£12 or whatever it is currently.

What?! That can't be right.

I thought this was a thing for people who don’t have the right to remain in the UK?.
If you have the right to remain, you don’t pay and have to let them know. They might ask you for copy for your passport or birth certificate.

I'm a uk national. Hospital in Essex.
DP went the next day to the hospital pharmacy for ongoing pain medication which we paid for as normal.
But the date on the letter refers to the date of the emergency trip to a and e, the day before.

I'd query that tbh. It doesn't sound right at all.

Presumably these are the drugs they prescribed for you to take home?

If so, and you're not exempt from paying for them then it's normal. And you should have been told it at the counter when they dispensed them.

Perhaps it's an admin error.

Query this op as it is not right at all. All UK nationals and people with the right to remain get free NHS treatment in hospital at the point of necessity. No one should be handed an invoice for medication used in hospital that's outrageous.

Wouldn’t be giving them a penny without querying it first. Is there a phone number or email on the letter so you can taking it further

I'm not exempt from prescription charges, and I've never had to pay for medication prescribed and given in hospital

Definitely query it.

Direct from the NHS website:

Most adults in England have to pay prescription charges.

Some items are always free, including contraceptives and medicines prescribed for hospital inpatients.

So if you were a hospital inpatient at the time then there is an error. You need to ring the ward/pals dept of the hospital you were in and query.

I've spent more time in hospitals than I care to remember, and I have never been billed for medication administered at hospital. I did have to pay a prescription charge for something that I had dealt with at minor injuries I think - it might have been dressings that they sent me home with. I was given a print out with details of how to pay online.

I think some costs relating to RTAs used to be charged as well. Did you visit as a result of a RTA?

Sorry, meant to say, I'd definitely ring the hospital switchboard and ask to speak to the right dept to query it.

No, not a RTA. I fell from height and was unconscious, query head and spine injury (thankfully that was all fine), broke my arm in three places.
The invoice is for drugs used in a and e @SilverHairedCat according to the date. I paid for my pain relief prescriptions the following day as normal.

It definitely sounds like someone has made an admin error and put you down as a foreign national or something.

I've never been charged for meds given in a+e, only when I've had to go to the onsite pharmacy to pick them up. Well I have a prepayed exemption so don't pay then either.

It dossn't sound right.

Here is a bit of the letter-I can only get this bit in without the address etc on. There were two, the other one has three more separate items, so five in total with this one-no idea why they aren't all on the same letter.
That's weird at the bottom isn't it 'prescription items dispensed by the a and e department are chargeable...' since when? Plus I was unconscious for most of it! I've no idea what went on.

Like I said I will pay it-but I've never heard of this before.

When did this become a thing?!

It isn't a thing. It's either a mistake or fraud.

No phone number or address for query on the letter-just a number for payments which is an automated answering system

I think someone might be trying to run a mini scam. Many will pay as it's a relatively low amount...... call the hospital and check?