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Type 1: Prescription fine

My new exemption certificate came this morning. in the letter it states the following which is relevant to the thread:

''It is your responsibility to make sure you hold a valid certificate whenever you have NHS prescriptions dispensed free of charge.''
 
I'm just writing an article for our local press to advertise this diluring the no news times in the New Year.

Basing it with a photo of local chemist and practice manager with details of exemption's and how to complete forms etc..

Will be advertising for our town, the practice, PPG and chemist as well....
 
Good stuff. Keep being an activist. Here in Scotland all scripts are free like it should be elsewhere in the UK and Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS don't restrict meters, strips etc like some penny-pinching trusts especially in NE England. Healthcare should be FREE...viva la revolution lol
 
Update on my situation

I have appealed to the BSA and they are processing my request. I recall being given a paper copy of an exemption certificate when I first attended University back in 1992. I don't seem to remember it having an expiry date back then. They have requested that I send them the document, am going to root through my old University case when I get home and see if it happens to be in there but I suspect it was lost a long time ago.

Does anybody else remember these or better still have a copy of one they could share with me?
 
It seems odd that you have to renew a certificate for conditions like T1 diabetes as its not like its going to go away is it?

Hands up all T1's who have got better?
 
Further information; I have a response from Diabetes UK (the charity, not this site) after I raised the issue with them:

"
I have now heard back from some of my colleagues regarding your previous email. I have included their response below:

Thank you for getting in touch to share your concerns over the increasing number of people facing fines from the NHS BSA. We are aware of this issue through our careline and advocacy service. We are very concerned that this is happening and are looking for ways to spread the word as widely as possible:

1) We are contacting people with diabetes, for example through our next issue of balance, to make sure that they are aware that they need this certificate and how to go about getting it. We have recently clarified this on our website – to alert people to the danger of a fine if they do not have the appropriate certificate. If you are able to, please do share this link widely:
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/faq/living-with-diabetes-questions/

In addition, when people get a new medical exemption form, I think it can be backdated by a month, allowing people to get a refund for the previous month if they have an FP57 refund receipt.

The NHS BSA also have an FAQ section on their website for medical exemption certificates here:
https://nhsuk.epticahosting.com/selfnhsukokb/template-group.do?name=Medical exemption certificates&id=4962

2) We have written to the NHS BSA to say that whilst we do understand people need to have a medical exemption certificate having diabetes is the basis for exemption, so there is no question that people with diabetes are trying to claim for something they ought to be paying for. We have told them that we are doing what we can to communicate the need to have a certificate widely to people with diabetes and healthcare professionals and we have asked that they reconsider their policy on fining people.

3) We have also written to the Royal Pharmaceutical society to ask that they communicate to their members that pharmacists need to make sure that people do have a certificate and that they are not just ticking a box. In instances where they do not have a certificate we have asked that the pharmacist makes sure people are aware they need one and issue a refund form for the prescription, as this will avoid large fines in the longer term.

4) We have contacted healthcare professionals through our networks to make sure that they are aware that they need to give the appropriate forms to people with diabetes and to sign those.

Thank you very much for contacting us regarding your concerns.
"

So Diabetes UK are on the case.

Can I recommend that anyone reading this who is having problems with a fine contacts Diabetes UK through the careline http://www.diabetes.org.uk/careline to let them know. As they are already taking action there is a good chance that they will be able to champion people who have been hit with a penalty notice.

Don't take this lying down; get stuck in!

Cheers

LGC
 
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Hi LGC,

Thanks for the update, really helpful post. Just sent an email to the careline and also just joined too and started making regular donations...
 
I just had the same thing happen to me today only I got a charge of £124.15. No one has ever told me that I had to renew my certificate and that it expired after 5 years. If I had known this I could have easily done it and would have been happy to do it, I think its amazing we get our prescriptions for free. Being charged like this does seem terribly unfair, I am a good citizen and pay my bills and tax bill on time I would never knowingly do this. I am so SAD been sobbing about it for hours as I am 31 weeks pregnant at the moment and had a really hard week with my diabetes. I didn't get my pregnancy exemption certificate as I thought my diabetic one would cover it. Usually cope with having diabetes fine but this week has been the worst.
 
I've just had a letter too :/ anyone had any success appealing against it? I've emailed through with a complaint and to appeal. I had a card that expired 5 years ago.. Sent for a new one and they sent me a duplicate with same expire on it. They have no record of this so the fine stands supposedly! I have both cards as proof. Not sure what else to do. I've also emailed diabetes.org care to see if they can help further. £124.15 is the fine :'(
 

Thinking good thoughts here for you Mike
 
Ytak - easier said than done I know but try not to let it get you down. I am sure in your case they will hopefully waive it. First just get your doctor to call you and fill in the exemption form. Get them to add some additional notes on it to ask for leniency etc... especially given you are expecting.

Then you can email them with mitigating circumstances and appeal. In my case they have stopped the clock on the penalty charge until they have reviewed it.

I really want to take this up with the press but if it gained traction I am not sure I could deal with it as I am in the middle of treatment for severe clinical depression. I'll keep on posting here with any updates.

Stay well.
 
I am going to arrange for the local press to come to our Practice about this.. As we have a newsletter going out in January to our patients and the local press has nothing to say between Xmas and New Year.
 
Thank you all for your kind words and support. I will see if I can get it reversed, although I have already paid it and don't know if they will be able to refund it? I looked at my old medical card yesterday and noticed that it does have an expiry date. I think the main problem here is that Pharmacies have never given me the impression that the medical exemption certificate was important. If they had always asked for it then I would have realised its importance and maybe noticed its expiry date. I imagine though that even if I had noticed the expiry date before I would have assumed that as long as the pharmacist was happy to keep accepting it, it was fine and if ever I needed to I could easily prove I was diabetic. To suddenly police this thing without any warning seems cruel.

I am feeling better now and starting to get back good control of my diabetes after a challenging week.
 
Hi,
I'm another "offender" in the eyes of the NHS BSA for a prescription submitted on the 28th August. According to the letter I didn't pay for a prescription when I had no exception certificate in place and therefore now owe
Prescription charge of £32.20
Penalty Charge of £100.00
Total £132.20 now due.

If I don't respond by 6th Jan the charge will increase by 50%!!

I am T1 diabetic and have been since 1991. Like others it never even crossed my mind that this life long medical condition would have a time limited exception in place.
In all these years since 1991 I have NEVER been asked for the certificate. NEVER. I think the assumption by Chemists is that having T1 you have an exemption in place.

It is a disgrace that I am being penalised when there is no mechanism in place to issue reminders. I have never been reminded that my exemption is due to expire.

In the eyes of the NHS BSA I am a fraudulent claimer and therefore must pay the charge and associated penalty, there is no appeal process. It's black and white, in their eyes I claimed a free prescription when I did not have an active exemption in place.

I have spoken to Diabetes UK Care line (lovely lady), and the Patients Association. It is something they are aware of, but at the moment there is no resolution. Basically watch the Diabetes UK home page for news.

If you are in this position please let these organisations know to bolster our case.

I have paid £1.00 to ensure that my penalty charge doesn't increase to £150 on the 6th Jan.

I have since filled in a form to have my exception put in place, but once I have this I can only claim back 30 days of fees. Annoyingly their fine is for a transaction outside of this period. I can only wonder whether this is a deliberate act.

I will be writing to my MP.

Thanks,

Mark
 
@Mark, I'm sure if you put an appeal in they will consider what you have to say.

This thread should be made a Sticky on the forum as a warning to others, I'll ask Giverny if this is possible.
 
molivers73 I've had exactly the same thing happen to me, and like you, I'm really cross. I was diagnosed Type 1 in 1978 and have, not once, ever been asked to produce a medical exemption certificate or been offered any advice about renewal. Therefore, I have understood that what I have been doing is correct. It doesn't help that there is no appeal mechanism,

A little pragmatism would have gone a long way!

Unfortunately though, I don't think there is anything you can do, other than complain and make the payment, however unfair you think it is.

I haven't felt this cross in a long time!
 
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