To think NHS are pathetic

[tangerinemagic]

Yes I said it. I received a threatening letter in the post with a PCN. Yes, a PCN from the NHS!

I am on maternity leave and cashed a prescription which I did not pay for in February and during a spot check they ascertained I did not have the correct certificate. I challenged them online, only to find my MatB1 certificate wasn’t enough. Apparently everyone is eligible for free prescriptions within 1 year, it’s not means tested at all, but we all need to individually apply for ‘MatEx’ cert apparently. Why?!

This is DC2 and during two pregnancies, births and mat leaves I’ve never heard of a certificate. Not during any of the countless pre natal and post natal midwife appointments, from the GP, pharmacist, HVs.

I emailed and explained I was completely unaware and have received an unnecessarily threatening response. If my application is successful apparently the certificate only goes back 30 days, so I still have to pay either the PCN or the £9.90 prescription. I can’t tell which one as they aren’t clear. I’m furious given NHS is apparently understaffed and at breaking point.

have they got nothing better to do than hassle sleep deprived mothers who have enough on their plate?

Have I been living under a rock or has anyone else not heard of this?

It's not the OP not filling out a form properly. The midwife should have requested it for her, you can't directly apply for a MatEx certificate yourself, it needs to be done by a HCP in the NHS. As it was done for her for her first pregnancy.

The OP is clearly cross and perhaps a bit scared about getting a PCN notice and requests for payment, and doesn't have any knowledge about how the systems work, which is entirely reasonable. Hence the stressed and upset posts.

The Maternity Action link is a very useful read on this topic.

It’s not free. You personally are also not the NHS, and unless I’ve misunderstood something, you’re also allowed to leave their employ at any time.

@tangerinemagic same thing happened to me and I was very cross! Can’t the GP just tick a bloody box online to confirm pregnancy in the last 12 months or something so that it is seen by the pharmacist alongside the prescription itself when it comes through electronically? Loada crap designed to stealth charge people IMO.

Duplicate

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I’m sorry to hear that but your post makes no sense. What I am willing to pay for, or not, is not the question. Nor for you to comment on as I’ve not shared any facts around this. Should I pay a £100 fine because someone belonging to the NHS did not do their job? I can’t even apply for it myself. Hence the NHS team responsible telling me to chase my GP.

I am a 40% tax payer (oh no now I will really rustle some feathers) and I have private healthcare for all family members via health insurance, same for dental. I pay far more into the system than I take out. So please don’t assume because I’ve had 2 children on the NHS I’m taking more than I am entitled to. My first child was not born safely and was a cat4 emergency, threat of death to him. I was put under GA to have him delivered. See the problem with assuming?

They are attempting to combat prescription fraud.
They don't discriminate on how much the items cost.... just that you've committed fraud and claimed for something you're not entitled to.

Isn't the box you will have ticked on tge green form called 'valid maternity exemption certificate'?

good to know I’m not the only one. I suspected not. Funny that no one can confidently tell me this is a good use of NHS time, whether it’s the admin team or not. It’s their error. It’s laughable! What was the outcome of your PCN?

I’m going to conclude that you cannot read.

I am entitled to it

Yes often mistaken as MatB1 certificate. You see there are two, you can’t apply for either of them. They are done for you. Not confusing at all.

I think in your situation it’s worth complaining to the community midwife team to explain that this wasn’t applied for on your behalf. That way you can have something in writing (their response) to challenge the PCN

The NHS is not pathetic. You, however, seem to expect the NHS to do masses of personal admin for you. If they did, they'd have to employ more admin staff. No doubt you'd be complaining about that, too.

Exactly this.

I can’t apply for it so how is it my admin.

I'd suggest that YOU complete the correct/appropriate paperwork then.
Its your responsibility.

I’m laughing so much. Read the thread.

Laugh away.
Its still your responsibility to have the relevant form/exemption etc.
Otherwise they will find out and you will get a fine.
Oh wait....

I am laughing so much. I’d suggest that YOU read the thread.

I had to pay a PCN as well. I hadn't paid for a prescription when I should have (not on purpose). I was used to having them free but I'd actually gone past the threshold for free prescriptions (not by much!) so I'd not realised I didn't get them free anymore! Like PP said it's because you're supposed to take responsibility for it. It was annoying but they let you pay over direct debit and some of the direct debit options for how long it's paid back are quite lenient. So I couldn't get too riled up

Gently, because of your situation, YABVU. I know you are tired and made a genuine mistake. But they have to follow their processes - this does not make it pathetic.

I had a prepayment certificate for years. I did not realize my bank had screwed up, not paid it and I had been claiming I had one wrongly. I called them, discussed it and they reversed the fine. I did have to pay for the prescription, which was fair enough, but it was sorted and they helped me make sure it was sorted going forward. I had a few letters because there is a lag and so I had a few prescriptions which were not covered. But they were always very nice.

The NHS has to save money - a lot of money. Cutting down on people claiming for free prescriptions when they are not entitled to them or have made an error, even when they were acting in good faith, is one way of stemming losses.

Again, read the thread.

Ask them, in writing, to send you a copy of the executed agreement they rely on for the GBP 100 PCN.

When they fail to do so - tell them to shove it.

The NHS is a total shambles.

Again...pay the fine......

I'm sitting here looking at the back of an actual prescription.

Box D... Maternity Exemption Certificate.
You must have ticked this box to 'not pay'.
If you don't have this Certificate - that's fraud.
Regardless of who should have initiated one for you.... you've ticked you have one....signed a declaration that you have.... and you don't. Which is fraud.