Type 1: Prescription fine

[Lex_Ley]

Jamie Reed MP has asked people affected by prescription exemption charges to get in touch. His email address is jamie.reed.mp@parliament.uk. He's planning to raise it at Prime Minister's Questions.

 

[lovinglife]

Jamie Reed MP has asked people affected by prescription exemption charges to get in touch. His email address is jamie.reed.mp@parliament.uk. He's planning to raise it at Prime Minister's Questions.

Jamie Reed is my MP he is the shadow health sec. Interestingly he was diagnosed with T1 a couple of weeks before the last general election - maybe he has been a victim too?

Not sure how to tag but maybe someone more savvy than me can ask Giverny to put Lex _Leys post on a separate thread or a sticky or something so that those that may be affected but may miss it in the middle of this long thread

 

[catherinecherub]

[email protected] is the email address that I found for him so we had better get that right before people email him.

http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-jamie-reed/1503

 

[Lex_Ley]

Jamie Reed is my MP he is the shadow health sec. Interestingly he was diagnosed with T1 a couple of weeks before the last general election - maybe he has been a victim too?

Not sure how to tag but maybe someone more savvy than me can ask Giverny to put Lex _Leys post on a separate thread or a sticky or something so that those that may be affected but may miss it in the middle of this long thread

Good idea, thanks. I'm new to this forum so haven't checked out how to start a new thread yet.

 

[Lex_Ley]

[email protected] is the email address that I found for him so we had better get that right before people email him.

http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-jamie-reed/1503

I emailed jamie.reed.mp@parliament.uk and got an acknowledgment to say it had been received so that address is okay.

 

[noblehead]

Jamie Reed MP has asked people affected by prescription exemption charges to get in touch. His email address is jamie.reed.mp@parliament.uk. He's planning to raise it at Prime Minister's Questions.

Great result Lex-Ley

 

[Lex_Ley]

Great result Lex-Ley

Credit goes to @davidcragg who highlighted the issue on Twitter

 

[Lex_Ley]

There is now a petition to ask for lifelong exemption certificates
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/443/...diabetes-mellitus/?taf_id=13397573&cid=fb_na#

 

[msb03]

Update on fine - I received my fine letter 19th Jan, I replied 22nd Jan and now 7th Feb have received their reply - and as expected from reading the responses on this forum their two page explanation can be summed up in one word Tough!.
Whilst I appreciate they are only doing their jobs they seem to have a stock "tough" letter and are hiding behind the legislation. Pay the fine or get a surcharge.

Next step MP and further correspondence with the BSA

 

[msb03]

There is now a petition to ask for lifelong exemption certificates
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/443/...diabetes-mellitus/?taf_id=13397573&cid=fb_na#

have signed

 

[Spiker]

There is now a petition to ask for lifelong exemption certificates
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/443/...iabetes-mellitus6/?taf_id=13397573&cid=fb_na#

There are many things I would like to see changed about this policy, but making the exemption certificate last a lifetime is not one of them.

A lifetime certificate would be a lifetime licence for benefit fraud if it fell into the wrong hands.

What is needed is better communication of the policy to all concerned, and no more fines for those who can prove, after the fact, that they were eligible for a card.

 

[dannyw]

I also feel a lifetime medical exemption certificate is not the way forward. A better option is just raise awareness of current rules. To renew every 5 years is no hardship. We should feel lucky we even get this. Also, what about T1.5's or LADA or T2's on insulin ?
I don't agree with the fines that are being sent out but awareness would prevent this.

 

[Lex_Ley]

There are many things I would like to see changed about this policy, but making the exemption certificate last a lifetime is not one of them.

A lifetime certificate would be a lifetime licence for benefit fraud if it fell into the wrong hands.

What is needed is better communication of the policy to all concerned, and no more fines for those who can prove, after the fact, that they were eligible for a card.

I agree that much better communication is needed and an end to the fines. I think renewing the certificates every five years for a permanent condition is a waste of everyone's time and so I've signed the petition but I understand that not everyone feels the same. Even if the petition is unsuccessful, I hope it will raise awareness of the issue and might prompt the NHS to target people who are deliberately committing fraud, rather than people who are eligible for free prescriptions.

 

[the_exile]

When you write to your MP's ask them to make all prescriptions free like the SNP did up here, that way you don't need an exemption as everybody gets free healthcare. It might mean they have ot stop going to war with everyone though so I doubt you'll have much success, but good luck!

 

[ConradJ]

There are many things I would like to see changed about this policy, but making the exemption certificate last a lifetime is not one of them.

A lifetime certificate would be a lifetime licence for benefit fraud if it fell into the wrong hands.

What is needed is better communication of the policy to all concerned, and no more fines for those who can prove, after the fact, that they were eligible for a card.

If the Whitehall timewasters had digitised the cards ten years ago - as I'd suggested to the Prescription Authority all those years ago, and made them for ten years, then we wouldn't be in this mess and the whole system would be run at half the cost!

 

[Jaylee]

After reading a couple of topics on this subject I finally got round to filling out the form today at my surgery to cover my back..
The receptionist when enquiring about the certificate renewal & explaining about facing a possible fine, had never heard of such..
After I enlightened her she searched her drawer & told me she only had "pregnancy forms".
I pointed out it was highly unlikely I would "conceive" even if this close to Valentine's Day & to her credit. She found the appropriate form by tapping up one of the Docs..

In fairness. I'm not even sure the medical profession know about this legislation....

 

[Sancho panza]

In fairness. I'm not even sure the medical profession know about this legislation....

I think you may be right or at least the majority of them.
Luckily for me my DN informed me about the card when I was first diagnosed.
Whilst I can see a lifetime certificate has its merits for some as a T2 I'm only eligible whilst I'm taking medication for diabetes, and I certainly wouldn't object to having to pay again if I came off my meds.
Personally I see no problem reapplying every five years. But I think that the lack of information given to the public and the Drs and nurses is shocking. And certainly the fact that there is no proper system of appeal for not just T1 diabetics but other sufferers of chronic diseases is a disgrace.

 

[Sancho panza]

This is what NHSBSA say

You can get all your NHS prescriptions free if you have a valid medical exemption certificate because you have:

• a permanent fistula (for example, caecostomy, colostomy, laryngos-tomy or ileostomy) which needs continuous surgical dressing or an appliance;
• a form of hypoadrenalism (for example, Addison’s Disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential;
• diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism;
• diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;
• hypoparathyroidism;
• myasthenia gravis;
• myxoedema (that is, hypothyroidism which needs thyroid hormone replacement);
• epilepsy which needs continuous anticonvulsive therapy;
• a continuing physical disability which means you cannot go out without the help of another person; or
• cancer and are undergoing treatment for:
  - cancer;
  - the effects of cancer; or,
  - the effects of cancer treatment.

You can only get a certificate if you have a condition on the list. If you are not sure about the name of your condition, check with your doctor. Doctors may advise you about free prescriptions. However, it is up to you to find out if you are entitled to an exemption certificate.

It would be interesting to know if any of these other suffers have been fined
After all this issue isn't just about us diabetics

 

[Jaylee]

This is what NHSBSA say

You can get all your NHS prescriptions free if you have a valid medical exemption certificate because you have:

• a permanent fistula (for example, caecostomy, colostomy, laryngos-tomy or ileostomy) which needs continuous surgical dressing or an appliance;
• a form of hypoadrenalism (for example, Addison’s Disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential;
• diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism;
• diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;
• hypoparathyroidism;
• myasthenia gravis;
• myxoedema (that is, hypothyroidism which needs thyroid hormone replacement);
• epilepsy which needs continuous anticonvulsive therapy;
• a continuing physical disability which means you cannot go out without the help of another person; or
• cancer and are undergoing treatment for:
  - cancer;
  - the effects of cancer; or,
  - the effects of cancer treatment.

You can only get a certificate if you have a condition on the list. If you are not sure about the name of your condition, check with your doctor. Doctors may advise you about free prescriptions. However, it is up to you to find out if you are entitled to an exemption certificate.

It would be interesting to know if any of these other suffers have been fined
After all this issue isn't just about us diabetics

Hi, this was pretty much the multiple choice list you highlighted in red on my form...
The form in fairness was a quick easy afair.. Name, address, DOB, tick an illness & sign..

 

[CollieBoy]

After reading a couple of topics on this subject I finally got round to filling out the form today at my surgery to cover my back..
The receptionist when enquiring about the certificate renewal & explaining about facing a possible fine, had never heard of such..
After I enlightened her she searched her drawer & told me she only had "pregnancy forms".
I pointed out it was highly unlikely I would "conceive" even if this close to Valentine's Day & to her credit. She found the appropriate form by tapping up one of the Docs..

In fairness. I'm not even sure the medical profession know about this legislation....

The question is,
Did she crack a smile at the comment about you getting pregnant?

BTW, I remember one member(male), back in the day, getting sent a pregnancy exemption card rather than a D one<G>