Medical Exemption Certificate.

mandyg1970

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Jamie Reed MP has asked people affected by prescription exemption charges to get in touch. His email address is jamie.reed.mp@parliament.uk. Please share your story with him Secudus. He's planning to raise it at Prime Minister's Questions.
I have emailed by MP after receiving charge on Monday that I am refusing to pay, I also sent it to [email protected] because your address for him was not recognised but thanks for raising awareness that hopefully at least one MP will try and get this sorted
 
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andy williams

Well-Known Member
Messages
82
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Imagine how much money is being spent employing people to check all this.

Then you'll know why we in Wales and in Northern Ireland and Scotland don't have any prescription charges - it#s actually more efficient and cheaper.
 
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softgirl123

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
People with diabetes and or other medical conditions are only exempt if they have the certificate to say they are exempt. IE you have to apply for that certificate. This is what the NHS state and thus the fines :( Personally I think a better approach would be a letter to the person who claimed exemption with an application form and 28 days to return it otherwise the fine and charge will be implemented.

Then again as only 20% of people in the UK actually pay for prescriptions, it would be far cheaper to give everyone free prescriptions and save all the paper work and man hours sorting it all out.
why are the mps not stepping in to stop this horrible pratice.
 

softgirl123

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
Jamie Reed MP has asked people affected by prescription exemption charges to get in touch. His email address is jamie.reed.mp@parliament.uk. Please share your story with him Secudus. He's planning to raise it at Prime Minister's Questions.
thanksjust sent my email.
 

softgirl123

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
Type 1 for 57 years now - since before due to pay for any prescription due to age - Never have had any document for an exemption certificate - never asked for one - never asked to sign for prescriptions Same GP practice for last 27 years -
It has been common knowledge at any medical organisation - Dentist - pharmacy - GP - Hospital that Type 1 diabetics do not pay for prescriptions.

So - if I get any requests relative to prescription payments / fines they will be directed firstly to my GP then invited to take me to court with local and regional press accompanying me with a statement from my consultant confirming the date and diagnosis!

Can anyone provide to location of the relevant legislation?
What a waste of time for NHS backroom staff.
good idea i think i will do the same.
 

Lex_Ley

Member
Messages
23
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I saw this interesting post from another Facebook user with type 1 diabetes "I just got my BSA prescription fine waived and it appears it was illegal because one has to knowingly mislead the NHS - section 122 of the 1999 Act they're referring to and 194 of the NHS Act 2006. I've made Diabetes UK and Jamie Reed [Shadow Minister for Health] aware, and raised it with the diabetes lead for NHS England. Mine was waived because I've never been asked by a pharmacist to produce a certificate in 30 years of being type 1." I imagine this applies to many people.
 
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softgirl123

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
I saw this interesting post from another Facebook user with type 1 diabetes "I just got my BSA prescription fine waived and it appears it was illegal because one has to knowingly mislead the NHS - section 122 of the 1999 Act they're referring to and 194 of the NHS Act 2006. I've made Diabetes UK and Jamie Reed [Shadow Minister for Health] aware, and raised it with the diabetes lead for NHS England. Mine was waived because I've never been asked by a pharmacist to produce a certificate in 30 years of being type 1." I imagine this applies to many people.
i quoted the acts to them but they said i am still being fined for out of date.i had one in 03.moved house..signed my prescription .right through to 2015.as nobody asked.changed my chemist in last few months.and fine and charge.i was shocked .worried if they were going to go back to 08.when i was told i was suppose to renew it..before these fines surely there shouldof been warnings in chemists and doctors.but seen nothing.it seems a very dirty ,sneaky way of doing it,when we are entitled to it any way.i am going it winds me up.
 

caretaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
276
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I saw this interesting post from another Facebook user with type 1 diabetes "I just got my BSA prescription fine waived and it appears it was illegal because one has to knowingly mislead the NHS - section 122 of the 1999 Act they're referring to and 194 of the NHS Act 2006. I've made Diabetes UK and Jamie Reed [Shadow Minister for Health] aware, and raised it with the diabetes lead for NHS England. Mine was waived because I've never been asked by a pharmacist to produce a certificate in 30 years of being type 1." I imagine this applies to many people.
We all must keep the pressure up. .
Its no time to be a Jamimia. ( just a saying ) i apologize to all the feisty Jamimia's
I would like to no is there anyone who has gone to court .
or even gone as far as the court of appeal..
why not
 

donnellysdogs

Master
Messages
13,233
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
People that can't listen to other people's opinions.
People that can't say sorry.
NAPP the organisation for National Patient Participation Groups have today released a bulletin giving details of "fines".... This will go out to all GP Patient Groups that have joined. They mention diabetes.co.uk.

They haven't got all he details correct so perhaps @Administrator or @giverney could give them correct details... Ie they are charging for the cost of the medication as well and also that they are officially named as "penalty charges" and the full detailsof how these charges have been brought in.

Or anybody else here could contact NAPP.org and put them right???
 

softgirl123

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
I'm coming up to 55 this coming May.

When I reached the heady age of two, I was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic and was given a Life Time 'Medical Exemption Certificate' to get all my medication's on prescription free...

I have never had to pay for any medication because of the M.E.C. and when I started to order the prescriptions for myself, I would tick the M.E. box and collect same and this has continued up to this day without problem...

Now, here's the funny part, 2 weeks ago I get a letter from the NHS Business Service, saying I had been given a Penalty Notice for a prescription in October and had declared I had a valid medical exemption certificate.
According to them, they had no evidence of this and as a consequence I had to pay the prescription charge of £32.20 plus a penalty charge of £100

I rang them to sort it out and was told there was no recourse, there was no one in authority I could discuss with and no appeal!

After I explained I was still a child when the medical exemption certificate was awarded to me and that they must have had a record of it in their database, again was told they had no evidence of one and that I must pay and apply for a 5 year one using the FP92A

She told me that my GP would have a copy of the PCE and that if I changed surgery it would have been sent on to the new GP's with my MR's

So I rang my GP's surgery and spoke with the receptionist, who after 5 minutes looking told me they didn't have it and that I should ring the Pharmacy and ask them.

I did and was told they had me down on their system as having a PCE but couldn't help me any more...

So, I collected a 'Form FP92A Application' and filled it in with a letter to my GP explaining what had happened and would he confirm that I had been a Type I Diabetic since 1962 and send it off to the NHS BS in the stamped address envelope supplied.

I also paid the £132.20 over the phone, job done, or so I thought!

Today I get another letter from the NHS BS this time for a repeat prescription in November, this time for £124.15 d'oh!!

So now I ring my GP Surgery and ask if they have sent it off, only to be told that it was to short a time for the GP to have filled in the form...

So now I have to fork out a total of £256.35 that will continue to increase if the FP92A the GP has it languishing still in his 'in tray' for much longer...

This is a deplorable situation, the main database is missing my original certificate and it seems no one else has a copy of it either, and because of this I'm to pay £256.35 for official incompetence for something I'm entitled to with no way of getting a reimbursement...

I was wondering if any one else here has had long term diabetes (30+ years ) that have had to pay for prescriptions because the NHS Business Services have said their database had no evidence of them having one, and what was the final outcome?

I am seriously thinking of passing this on to the local media to bring this out into the open, what do you think?


Stu...
 

softgirl123

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
I have a repeat prescription delivered by the chemist i have not seen a prescription for over 5 years + so i never tick a box or show a card .i still got charged for £35 for a prescription i had 6 months ago.
this is got to be stooped everyone with type 1 is exempt . the the NHS nos this. so dose the doctors.and the chemists.
back door privatization screwing the wrong people
in my opinion.they are the criminals .giving fines to people who are entitled to this free treatment ,stressing .people out.they should be given fines them selves.it needs to be stopped .sooner the better.i think the doctors should stick up for us.or mp.i must go .thats all i seem to do argueing about fines by email..when i didnt get a reminder.people havent gone out to take from nhs.
 

softgirl123

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
As much as I sympathize with you to say GP is as much at fault isn't right. The issuing of a prescription is not linked to you not having a medical exemption certificate. It's not their job to ensure you have one. That's like blaming a travel agent for selling you a flight ticket cos your passport has expired.
Anyway, I hope you can appeal and I don't think you should be expected to pay but I just don't feel it's anyone else's fault but our own.
well said.
 

Amanda61

Well-Known Member
Messages
342
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Do you get help with eye tests or dentist work? Or does
the exempt card just cover free prescriptions.
 

donnellysdogs

Master
Messages
13,233
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
People that can't listen to other people's opinions.
People that can't say sorry.
Do you get help with eye tests or dentist work? Or does
the exempt card just cover free prescriptions.
Just free prescriptions and free eye sight tests...Crikey the nhs is broke let alone including dentist work as well!!