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?

Intrigued to know what you think when I say I’ve emailed them my MatB1 form and proved to them i am exempt. Should they insist I bother my GP to get said certificate and still continue to correspond with me? I am all for clamping down but this is a barking up the wrong tree. As I say I pay 40% taxes, claim nothing in terms of healthcare, education, benefits.

I really would love for someone, somewhere in power might in 2025 decided one certificate is enough and/or automate the system so when there is a spot check, the maternity leave exemption automatically shows without private data. I mean they already have my name and postal address, hence the letter, I don’t care if they see I’ve had a baby.

In today’s world of advanced technology, if they do a spot check, the system should be able to alert if someone is within 1 year of birth or actively in the system as being pregnant.

BTW - it would be great if the NHS had these joined up tech systems. They dont. That is not the fault of any of the departments, it is a systemic structural issue. And your pharmacist is not part of the NHS - they are just paid by them. They are private businesses. Interesting that you are not blaming them for not checking.

I ticked nothing. The pharmacist did. Also I have a maternity certificate. I have a MatB1 certificate which is apparently the wrong one. I was automatically provided a MatEx certificate with DC1 but it was done for me. I can’t apply for it. I have not committed fraud ffs.

The mat b form it was then Nothing extra for free prescriptions. Had baby in 2003

If the HV admin team didn’t know there were two certificates I would imagine nor do the pharmacists, besides, if they asked me if I was exempt I would say yes. It was my understanding I was as I was told so and first time around clearly received an email to say I was.

@tangerinemagic it won't have been automatic with your first pregnancy, but the midwife will have completed the necessary online information (entered your email address into the correct system) and initiated the process. Your current midwife did not do this for you, which is the issue. The MATB1 certificate is not relevant to exemption from paying prescriptions, so they are not going to be interested in cancelling the fine based on that. Follow the advice from Maternity Action and see how you get on with that.

Would you pay the £100? If you’ve read the thread, tell me honestly.

The letter you got through the post says it is.....
That and the fact you didn't have the correct exemption form yet still claimed the free prescription.
Nobody is saying it was intentional....

But if the right form has not been done, then you are entitled to be exempt but are not until it is done. I get that you are frustrated. But its not the fault of the people trying to stamp out fraud.

As I said, I had a situation where I had a PCN - actually several. I did have to pay for my prescription charges until the situation was sorted out - even though the situation was not of my making. It is a legal requirement and ignorance is no excuse under the law - it would not be in any other area. They waived the fines, after I called and spoke to them and were really helpful. Have you called them?

Should they be able to accept just one certificate? Yes, sounds like a good plan. maybe you need to register a complaint that this is not done. Or speak to your MP about changing this. But the whole NHS is not pathetic because of this. And looking up who has what situation which might make them exempt would take more time and manpower than is available in a system which is on its knees.

I am sorry this happened while you are so tired and busy from what is happening in your life. But I still think your attitude is unreasonable.

Intrigued by this. Will look into it.

I think the initial letter is random. I got one, sent them date of exemption certificate and was told case closed.

How can you commit fraud when you are entitled to something. It’s a joke.

Was exemption certificate applied for after the fine? Had no idea I didn’t have one or needed one.

as unfortunate as it is, I think the best thing to do is pay up. Think of it like donating to the NHS, which is a useful public service

I've always got my maternity exception certificate at my first contact with a health care professional after getting a positive pregnancy test. I'm on regular medication so I want it asap. I've had 3 pregnancies in the last 12 months and the maternity exception certificate form has been part of the registering with the midwife paperwork. You should have been given it at your booking appointment or when this was arranged. My midwife always puts my mine through straight away as she knows I'm on meds and also need antiemetics in pregnancy. I would think that this is where the first mistake has been made. The box to tick on the prescription form does state maternity exemption certificate and the second mistake would be the pharmacist not checking that you have the appropriate paperwork in place. My community pharmacy checked with the first prescription of each pregnancy that I had a maternity exemption certificate but I also had a prescription at the hospital pharmacy from the epu and they just assumed I had one, I guess as the epu had written the prescription.
Life would be simpler if so many different forms weren't required!

If you do not have a valid maternity exemption certificate, you may be liable for a penalty charge.

from
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-if-you-have-nhs-exemption/maternity-exemption-certificates

On the back of the prescription (attached, may be under review) it also says you have a maternity exemption certificate and that you agree that the information you have given is correct - which it wasn’t. You did not have the certificate.

That’s the technicality of why they are saying you committed fraud.

The only mitigating circumstances here are that 1. the pharmacist ticked this on your behalf and 2. The midwife didn’t mention you needed to apply

YABU! You should know the MatB1 and exemption certificate are two completely different things? How did you not know this? This is YOUR responsibility to ensure you have the documents! It is your pregnancy! Obviously you don't do the paperwork yourself but I'm assuming you are an adult so take some responsibility and just admit that you are in the wrong, you sound so entitled.

I'm medically exempt, but you have to have a valid medical exemption certificate or you have to.pay, even though you have a condition that exempts you. I've seen plenty of people get a fine as they were told they get free prescriptions and don't grasp that it's only with the valid MedEx certificate.

NHSSBS also dont have access to your NHS records, so with a MedEx it's valid for 5 years and then they remind you to renew. If you've moved house it's your responsibility to tell them, doesn't matter if the rest of the NHS knows, they don't have access to that info.

I have to reapply every 5 years but I'll never not be medically exempt.

For those that do a prepayment, they apparently aren't allowed to take payment once you hit the year you become age exempt. My friend was fined as NHSSBS cancelled her direct debit but didnt tell her, so she no longer had a valid pre payment certificate and so they sent her a penalty charge notice!

OP does not need to pay the fines. I did not. I called and explained I was acting in good faith, and they were waived. The people who actually handle this are very reasonable if you speak to them. Its not their fault that the system is so complicated. Or that so many people do try to get away with not paying. Perhaps we should require pharmacies to see the certificate before accepting that people have one.

yes, even if you are within a few days of it! But again, if you all and explain it, they are ok. A bit like HMRC, if you make a mistake, which OP has, willing to work with you if you are open with them.

This. Its not new having to have correct proof for various circumstances.

Because you didn't have the correct exemption form....

Its not a joke.
Prescription fraud costs the NHS a lot of money... of course they have to look into it FFS.
Are you special? Should they have just known somehow that despite not having the required form you're really not being fraudulent and it doesn't apply to you... only everybody else?🙄

Apologies,I did not mean exemption certificate. I get a prepay. I had bought on day off prescription. I agree though that once they know you have maternity exemption that should be enough

I got caught out by this and assumed a maternity exemption was just something held on record, didn’t really think about and then got fined. All sorted when I contacted my midwife and turns out they had never done the certificate, they then issued me one and it was backdated and the fine was waived once I explained it to the NHS admin team.

So you did t know about it, and that renders our wonderful NHS, by which I presume you have had two babies, pathetic?

Ok

Got it.