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?

You must not be able to read. I’ve not said they should investigate fraud. I have said I sent them my MatB1 form and they’re still perusing sending threatening emails about a £100 fine and telling me to contact my GP, midwife or HV to obtain the right certificate. My point is what a waste of my time, the GPs time, NHS time, et al. I think it’s a pathetic waste of time. If you think I’m unreasonable that’s fine. But understand my point first.

No the Matb1 form you can only get from 20 weeks onwards from you Midwife to give to your employer to confirm your maternity leave and pay. The maternity exemption form is filled in by your midwife and signed by you and then sent off at your first booking appointment. Completely different forms with different purposes and always have been.

• Should not investigate fraud

No. Them continuing to pursue me, even after I haven’t my matB1 form. This is not means tested. Everyone is eligible who has had a baby. They just want to keep wasting time for bureaucracy.

Didn't have that when I had my last child I asked my DD about it. She said didn't have it with her first (8years ago) but did with the 2nd (. 6 months)

I'm with you - I do know about the certificate from a previous pregnancy but this time, I've received nothing and nobody I've came into contact with (health visitor, consultant, midwives etc) has ever, ever mentioned it. Looking into it, it might be because we're in Scotland but I do worry about being chased for money if I ever happen to get something for free after I read an article about this recently! Disgusting they are harassing mothers for tiny amounts!

I had it 19 years ago, 8 years ago and 3 years ago

Well said!!!!!

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

@tangerinemagic because you're not exempt until you have the certificate.

Your MatB1 is an entirely different form used for an entirely different purpose at a different time.

Just as a diabetic isn't exempt from paying until they apply for the exemption neither is someone pregnant. The NHS needs a way to track and confirm who are exempt - hence the certificates.

And it's not wasting your GP or HV's time asking them to do the exemption now babies one of them should have done it at the time.

And I get fined when they didn’t their job because…..?

Everyone is eligible who has had a baby

Having a baby doesn't make you eligible.

Applying for the exemption while pregnant is what makes you eligible for the certificate.

And I get fined when they didn’t their job because…..?

You are responsible for signing the back of your prescriptions.

If you ticked to say you had a maternity exemption certificate when you didn't then that is on you unfortunately. You should have asked your GP or HV for it, or asked in the pharmacy.

The box doesn't say "had a baby" - it says has a valid mat exemption certificate.

That they'll let you sort the cert now and not pay the fine is more than most people would get if they'd made an error like this tbh

the nhs applying for you makes you eligible. I cannot apply. Make sense why I should not be the one fined? It’s pot luck whether your midwife team do as they’re supposed to. It’s knowledge based whether you know it’s the done thing and can chase it. I didn’t realise. I didn’t chase something I didn’t know existed.

And this would be the sensible approach. But OP does not appear to be prepared to consider this.

But you should have made it your business to know! You can plead ignorance and argue all you like.
Also, the title of your post is bugging me. I think it should read 'To think THE NHS IS pathetic' (which I and others think is a heinous title given the subject by the way, as I work for the NHS).

the nhs applying for you makes you eligible. I cannot apply. Make sense why I should not be the one fined? It’s pot luck whether your midwife team do as they’re supposed to. It’s knowledge based whether you know it’s the done thing and can chase it. I didn’t realise. I didn’t chase something I didn’t know existed.

You should be the one fined because you're the one that ticked the box on the legal part of the prescription saying you had an exemption when you don't.

If you claim an exemption to prescription charges is your job to make sure you have the cert. That's the rules for pregnant women, diabetics, cancer patients and anyone who has the right to apply for an exemption cert.

All you have to do is speak to the HV or GP, as the fines team told you, and it'll be easily sorted, rather than faffing sending them forms that aren't remotely relevant to prescriptions. Zero need for any drama whatsoever.

I’m trying. If you read the thread you will see I contacted the various folk im supposed to. Even if I have started the ball rolling that’s besides the point. Harassing mothers for £100 for a fine which is the fault of the admin system at NHS is ridiculous. Like saying someone else can only pay for your parking and if they forget then you get a fine unless you can get them to pay your fine now and then you just pay the parking fee. A stupid system.

The MatB1 and the Maternity Exemption certificate are separate for a reason - they apply to different (but overlapping) groups of people. The MatEx comes into effect right at the start of your pregnancy. If you have a miscarriage, you can still use it. That's not true of a MatB1, for which you're only eligible if your pregnancy progresses to 20 weeks.

The MatEx is specifically for claiming prescriptions and dental care, and the MatB1 is specifically for claiming maternity pay.

Two certificates with two sets of eligibility criteria, and serving two different purposes. That's not so hard to get your head around.

Being pregnant DOES NOT entitle you to free prescriptions, nor does having a MatB1; having a MatEx does.

It's frustrating that your midwife didn't tell you about this or apply on your behalf, but there are loads of instances where you might not know you need something and you still get penalised for not having it. If you move here from America, where there's no test for roadworthiness, you might not know you need to get an MOT. But you'll still be penalised if you dont get one, even if your car is in perfect condition. It's an imperfect analogy but the principle is similar.

But at the beginning of the thread, you were saying you should not have to have this form because the NHS could see you had had a baby. What you are saying now is different, surely?

I remember getting this when I was pregnant with DS. I knew it was on me to sort

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.

Apply for the exemption certificate and pay the £9.90. All of this dramatic speech “would you pay £100???” is too much. You made an error and it’ll cost you a tenner. It’s fine.

Have you paid the fine or was it overturned? @tangerinemagic