This may or may not be of assistance to anyone else who has objections to the way this has been implemented - please read the e-mail chain from the bottom up for it to make sense.
Dear Ms ****
Thank you for your response - However, I am afraid you are mistaken.
It may not be recorded in your files, but I was told by the supervisor that as I had verbally registered the complaint the account would be frozen whilst the case was investigated.
I have not made any payment as a protest to the way in which this process is being dealt with - not my individual case, but the whole process nationally.
Frankly, if I had received an invoice from NHSBSA for the £16.10 prescription charge and a notification that an exception certificate was not in place, I would have paid it, completed the appropriate documentation and moved on. My objection was and is to the wholly inappropriate "fines", both initially and secondarily that are being applied.
I appreciate that you have no power to address the implementation of this tightening of the rules, but what has not been considered is the circumstances surrounding the diagnosis of diabetes 25 years ago or the way that process was dealt with at that time by the medical profession.
I know, and I know that the NHSBSA know how many Diabetics have been caught out by this - there are numerous cases already highlighted on diabetic organisations websites and in social media. If a sensible policy had been to initially notify rather than fine those who have innocently fallen into this trap we could all be doing something more productive with our time than wasting the NHS's valuable resources.
Regards
Bob Mears
From: PECS NHSBSA (NHS BUSINESS SERVICES AUTHORITY) [mailto:
[email protected]]
Sent: 24 February 2015 16:34
To: [email protected]
Subject: NHSBSA - Prescription Exemption Checking Service
Dear Mr Mears,
Thank you for your email regarding prescription exemption checks.
Upon looking into your records I can see that in the conversation between yourself and a Supervisor on 22/01/15 you were advised a Surcharge would be incurred if no payment was made within 28 days of the initial letter as you are liable for the charge. At no point it was advised that the account would be placed on hold while it was investigated.
There has been no change in policy, since 1968 Medical Exemption Certificates have been in place and always need renewed after 5 years.
If you wish to take this to your MP you can do so, but please be aware that the Penalty Charge and Surcharge still apply.
For more information, visit the Ask Us section of our website
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pecs. Alternatively, you can contact us via our website click here or by telephone on 0300 330 9291.
Regards
***** ****
Customer Contact Officer
Prescription Exemption Checking Service (PECS)
NHS BSA
From:
[email protected] [
mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 20 February 2015 15:02
To: PECS NHSBSA (NHS BUSINESS SERVICES AUTHORITY)
Subject: NHSBSA - Prescription Exemption Checking Service
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NHSBSA - Prescription Exemption Checking Service Friday, February 20, 2015 at 15:01:36 (GMT)
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Exemption category: Medical exemption
Dispencing date: -- / October / 2014
Query
I am a Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetic and have been since 1990 - No memory of the circumstances surrounding exception certificates at that time, but have been eligible for exception since then.
Have received no notification of any change to rules, which I believe came into operation in 2002? or that I have spent the past 25 years claiming exception inappropriately.
I know that I am not alone in these circumstances as has been demonstrated by the conversation I have today (20/02/15) had with Diabetes UK.
In addition, on receipt of your initial communication around 20/01/2015 I called your office, explained these circumstances and had a supervisor call me back.
I made the complaint to him and was advised that my complaint would be registered and the charge notice put on hold while it was investigated - However, I have this morning received further correspondence advising me of an additional surcharge bringing the total to £136.85.
This is a highly inappropriate charge against a Prescription which, had I not been exempt would have been £16.10 and cannot be justified as I have neither been advised of the change in policy nor been advised of an inappropriate claim in 25 years.
For your information, I applied for and was granted an exemption certificate within a week of your first communication.
Had that initial communication been an advisory that I should obtain an exemption certificate I would happily have done so.
Bureaucracy at its worst!
Please review this matter accordingly
My next communication will be with my local MP Mr Owen Paterson.
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