The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) recently fined a patient £100. She falsely charged free prescriptions, despite being exempt through her pregnancy. Her family’s case sheds light on the challenges and deep harms that can happen from administrative blunders within our complex healthcare system.
The patient, who found out she was pregnant in June, was exempt from paying prescription charges. But their midwife didn’t know to put this exemption on their registration. Consequently, the patient was doomed to stay ignorant that they weren’t truly enrolled in the system. Every time the patient legitimately used free prescriptions they were penalised with a fine.
The NHSBSA noted that maternity exemptions can be backdated by only one month. This policy was to the effect that when the patient stopped their prepayment certificate in June, they still owed charges. The hiccup had stemmed from an unfortunate oversight in Anoka’s registration process. In mid-June, the patient found out that she was exempt. Due to one small error on the part of the midwife, they found themselves in a bureaucratic purgatory.
Once the patient became aware of their problem, they contacted problems@observer.co.uk to ask us for help with their plight. They submitted a new application for exemption in October, accompanied by a letter explaining the circumstances surrounding the initial error.
The NHSBSA backdated the patient’s exemption to cover a month earlier. Even in order to escape the maximum £100 fine, the patient was not off the hook for £70. A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said,
“Patients are responsible for ensuring they are claiming an entitlement to which they are eligible, and making a correct declaration on their prescription form.”
This incident exemplifies the challenges patients may face when navigating exemption claims and underscores the importance of accurate record-keeping by healthcare providers.