Anyone Interested In Petition For Free Dental Checks/care?

[wildfirejc]

I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2016. So I applied for and got a NHS Medical Exemption Cert/Card. This is identical to the NHS Tax Credit Exemption card - which I remember having in 2005. Dental was free then. So I thought, maybe over the years, NHS changed the name of this card and I went along to a local dentist, showed the receptionist my card and asked if dental is free. She said yes. Took my details and registered me. After 4 visits, I received a Penalty Charge Notice from NHS Business Services, demanding that I pay £56.30 plus penalty of £100. I appealed by telephone, the guy couldn't be bothered. Basically, the onus is on me to check if I am entitled or not. I went to the dentist and spoke to the owner - who said she will inform all her staff that the card I have for diabetes is different and therefore not entitled to free dental. Sorry, nothing more she could do - not even to write a letter to the NHS to explain that it was her dental clinic's fault. She said I had signed the form and ticked on the thing that said "I have a NHS Tax Credit Exemption cert". I demanded to look at the form - she showed me two. One was signed by me but not ticked or dated - which explained why NHS business Authority have not demanded payment. The latest one was signed and the date and tick was done by someone else because the date wasn't my handwriting. I think it is very unfair of NHS to penalise someone - they said if I can show that I didn't act with any lack of care, the penalty will be waived. Well, I am counting on the first form but the dentist refused to give me a copy. She said she will only give it to NHS if they ask her for it.
The locum who treated me mention that Diabetic people are prone to gum disease. I have since also read up on different scientific articles on this - so I was prompted to start a petition asking anyone interested to sign it and see if we could get free dental checks as diabetes sufferers.

 

[wildfirejc]

Those interested in signing, please go to the petitions government website.
petition.parliament.uk - the Petitions number is 223204. Thanks.

 

[porl69]

Can you pop the link on here??

 

[Fenn]

Sorry, in my opinion we should not be given free dental care, in fact we should not be given anything other than the diabetes medications for free unless we cannot afford them, presumably after being means tested.

I assume we are given diabetes medications for free because otherwsie the vast majority would not buy them, therefore costing the nhs more in future problems?

If i were non diabetic and got a headache, I wouldn't expect the nhs to give me headache tablets, why would I? It is my head and my ache, I did nothing to cause the headache. What makes diabetes more deserving of free treatment than other conditions? Why do I as a diabetic get given BP meds fo free when another person without diabetes have to pay for them?

I can get anything for free with the certificate, it makes no sense to me at all. It is so open to (authorised) abuse.

I take alot of different meds so I am happy to get them for free but dont think its correct. I would be very happy to have my mind changed by others views though.

 

[Arab Horse]

Sorry, in my opinion we should not be given free dental care, in fact we should not be given anything other than the diabetes medications for free unless we cannot afford them, presumably after being means tested.

I assume we are given diabetes medications for free because otherwsie the vast majority would not buy them, therefore costing the nhs more in future problems?

If i were non diabetic and got a headache, I wouldn't expect the nhs to give me headache tablets, why would I? It is my head and my ache, I did nothing to cause the headache. What makes diabetes more deserving of free treatment than other conditions? Why do I as a diabetic get given BP meds fo free when another person without diabetes have to pay for them?

I can get anything for free with the certificate, it makes no sense to me at all. It is so open to (authorised) abuse.

I take alot of different meds so I am happy to get them for free but dont think its correct. I would be very happy to have my mind changed by others views though.

I am waiting for a hip replacement and buy my pain meds (ibuprofen and paracetamol) myself as although I could get them free they cost less than £10 a month and would cost the NHS considerably more than that to get on prescription. I get my morphine to take when the pain is really bad on prescription. I have mixed feelings about free dental care but as I spend several hundred ££s some years I do struggle sometimes and delay going for my 6 monthly check.
.

 

[dawnmc]

I can't afford a dentist, my pension has been delayed until I'm 67, so another 4 yrs before I can go.

 

[KK123]

Sorry, in my opinion we should not be given free dental care, in fact we should not be given anything other than the diabetes medications for free unless we cannot afford them, presumably after being means tested.

I assume we are given diabetes medications for free because otherwsie the vast majority would not buy them, therefore costing the nhs more in future problems?

If i were non diabetic and got a headache, I wouldn't expect the nhs to give me headache tablets, why would I? It is my head and my ache, I did nothing to cause the headache. What makes diabetes more deserving of free treatment than other conditions? Why do I as a diabetic get given BP meds fo free when another person without diabetes have to pay for them?

I can get anything for free with the certificate, it makes no sense to me at all. It is so open to (authorised) abuse.

I take alot of different meds so I am happy to get them for free but dont think its correct. I would be very happy to have my mind changed by others views though.

There's nothing stopping you from paying for them if you feel that strongly.

 

[zand]

I don't see why diabetics should get free dental treatment just because they are diabetic. If financial circumstances mean someone needs free dental treatment then that's different, but we aren't invalids just because we have diabetes. The treatment isn't in fact free anyway, someone else has to pay for it. That's even more unfair than paying for it ourselves.

 

[Boo1979]

Sorry, in my opinion we should not be given free dental care,

I assume we are given diabetes medications for free because otherwsie the vast majority would not buy them, therefore costing the nhs more in future problems?
.

I agree re dental treatment with the possible exception of hygienist appointments - diabetes alters the acidity of our saliva which makes us much more at risk of gum disease so regular descaling etc is more impirtant
I think the main reasons diabetics receive other meds free relate to a) the increased risk of infection generally and particularly difficult to heal foot infections meaning antibiotics, dressings,etc are likely to be needed & b) the increased risk and increased prevelance of co morbidities such as hypertension, kidney problems, neuropathy etc which may necessitate additional meds. All long term chronic health conditions also increase vulnerability to depression which again may benefit from medication

 

[zand]

I do think it's odd that everyone gets free prescriptions once we reach the age of 60 (in England anyway) since that isn't the retirement age anymore, yet we have to wait for free dental treatment. I had to pay for my kids dental treatment because there just weren't any NHS dentists around here at the time.

 

[Fenn]

I can't afford a dentist, my pension has been delayed until I'm 67, so another 4 yrs before I can go.

If you cannot afford to go to the dentist, you should be given it free of charge

 

[dawnmc]

If you cannot afford to go to the dentist, you should be given it free of charge

my partner is earning, so I don't qualify. But like a lot of folk, there isn't any spare change at the end of the month.

 

[Fenn]

There's nothing stopping you from paying for them if you feel that strongly.

If i felt strongly about it, I would pay, I would also become a polititian and campaign, I don't feel strongly at all I was just expressing an opinion, I apologise if I came across agitated? I also said I would happily have my mind changed by others opinions, if I felt strongly I would say changing my opinion would be almost impossible as I am generally quite pig headed.

 

[Fenn]

I dont consider diabetes itself to be a disability is what I am saying I suppose, although of course I know it could sadly cause disabilities. if we can afford to pay for our care, we should, if only to make it fair on people that do not have diabetes but have their own equally unpleasant conditions, not covered by the free prescriptions.

 

[Tannith]

"I assume we are given diabetes medications for free because otherwsie the vast majority would not buy them, therefore costing the nhs more in future problems?" I agree with fenn who said the above. It would cost the NHS far more if diabetics did not take their diabetes medication.