Free prescriptions

[Sitchervice]

Hi I need help from some mother mummy's.
Since becoming pregnant I have not had one free prescription. I've now got my matb1 and taken this into the pharmacy, they've said I need a card.

No ones explained what I'm ment to dooo. Not midwife or anyone 😭 heeelp meeeeee

They don’t issue cards anymore.....you need to ask gp or midwife to sign the form for you .....you will get free prescriptions until your baby’s first birthday

You need a fw8 form completed by midwife or gp that gets sent off and a. Letter is sent to you as proof of free prescription/dental entitlement ( pregnancy and year after due date).

Matb1 form is for employers, you need an FW8 one for an exemption certificate.
You usually get this at booking, fill in and have midwife or GP fill in the rest.
You can claim back prescriptions paid for if you get the relevant receipt, they back date certificates for 1 month and they run up to 1 year after babys birth.

Yeah I got NON of this information at booking or from ANYONE!!! WHAT THE ACTUAL f*k!!!

It's all readily available from google. Did you really not find any of the many hits on 'free prescriptions pregnancy NHS' - such as this one, which was top of the results page for me

services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/apply-for-maternity-exemption/start

@RoseAndRose oh thanks! I didn't think to Google because I thought this would have been issues by the doctors. The Receptionist pretty much told me this when I phoned to get the booking appointment. I thought it was the Matb1.

Stupid me.... I'm not very good at this whole pregnancy thing tbh.

But this is also coming from the doctors surgery who asked if I wanted to keep the blood tests I was cancelling. Tried to give me a booking in date when I would have been 4 months pregnant. And
told me I was infertile... look how that turned out. I should really stop trusting them and find a new doctors surgery 🙄

@RoseAndRose I just looked at that link and it seems like it's only for the NHS to use. But I'll keep googling 👍

You need to get your MW or GP to apply for the certificate on your behalf - you can't do it yourself. It is only valid from when you receive it so worth getting in touch with them and asking them to do it. I did have to request from mine - they didn't just routinely issue it.

I have only been asked to show my certificate once and that was at the hospital pharmacy while visibly pregnant! Most of the time they just take your word for it - but note if you are caught using the exemption when you don't have a certificate it is fraud and there's a fine.

I've added a copy of my certificate in case it's useful. Definitely different to the MATB1 form.

My midwife emailed a certificate to me. Although my pharmacy has never asked to see it and I’ve collected 2 or 3 prescriptions they just trust me when I say I’m pregnant! Maybe try a different pharmacy in the mean time? I did ask last time do they not need to see it and she said it would ping up on their system when they processed it later anyway (no idea if that’s the case not sure how it would work maybe because I’m listed as pregnant at the GP) x

hey @Sitchervice - totally not your fault this! at my booking appt i asked for one, they told me they didnt have any, and to get one from the hospital. if u dont know what you need you would never know! then when asked at 12 week appt they all went ermm ok you should have had that...nope. anyway they went and found me their last paper form! turns out they r moving to online so sounds like a bit of a transition period?! maybe GP could help??

@leftitlate37 I phoned the doctors just before they closed. I got a form filled it out now I have to send it back. :)

@katiemumma20 I would but... Our GP has gone electronic with prescriptions and send it direct. I mean I walk in massive bump and they are still like Where's ya form. Still as above hopefully its sorted and I'll know if there's a next time.

They do issue cards, Mine arrived this week