NHS Penalty Charge Notice

Dont you know NHS is only free to people falling off boats these days ;-) 

If you got from a hospital you can go to hospital pharmacy to set up a payment option for weekly or monthly payment - same if its a gp surgery.

I ask to pay for medicine but they not provide the invoice or anything to process pay even though they ask for payment as an option to avoid penalty charge. Strange!

I'm considering changing to a different surgery. I notice there are plenty of smack heads goes there and they all get free medicine so they probably treat me the same and assume I'm going to claim freebies like rest which resulted in this fiasco.

Edited by Chantastic

Political idiots will tell you the NHS is broken...

A quick Google search gives multiple websites where you can pay a surcharge or PCN issued by the NHS.

However, if it was me, I would challenge anyway

For example, and I am on my phone, so the link may not be clickable...

https://respond-to-your-letter.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/enter-reference-number

Edited by BigBaldTone

Chantastic said

I ask to pay for medicine but they not provide the invoice or anything to process pay even though they ask for payment as an option to avoid penalty charge. Strange!

I'm considering changing to a different surgery. I notice there are plenty of smack heads goes there and they all get free medicine so they probably treat me the same and assume I'm going to claim freebies like rest which resulted in this fiasco.

 

Edited by Chantastic

if its Gp surgery you can call them or go on there own website for payment but BigBaldTone is right you should probably challange it to be honest, they should have explained it all to you before giving you medication

BigBaldTone said

Political idiots will tell you the NHS is broken...

A quick Google search gives multiple websites where you can pay a surcharge or PCN issued by the NHS.

However, if it was me, I would challenge anyway

The £99 plus medicine cost in the Penalty Charge letter is the first time I was notify the cost of the medicine, also the first time I was sent instruction how to process payment.

BigBaldTone said

For example, and I am on my phone, so the link may not be clickable...

https://respond-to-your-letter.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/enter-reference-number

Edited by BigBaldTone

Thanks, I already filled that in 3 times previously and each time they sent me one of those auto letter asking to me to challange like going into a loop eventually caused the delay and the Penalty Charg kicked in.

If you go to a pharmacy/chemist - you have to pay before they will let you have the medication (or whatever). If the GP surgery dispensed it - it would be reasonable to expect them to give you details of any charges at the time. If they did not do this - it would be reasonable to take this as there was no charge.

Challenge appears to be the only way forward here. At the very least, it should give you time to find out the exact details of the whys and wherefores. If it delays having to make a payment - all's the better

Sounds like the fault of the Pharmacy. You get charged before they hand over the medication, unless it is a private prescription given to you at the Medical Practice. Are you sure this isn't a scam?

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+challenge+a+nhs+pcn gives some very interesting results, including these from 2019 (so might be out of date):

• https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2019/05/1-7-million-nhs-fines-overturned/
• https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/how-appeal-nhs-fine-17-15759789
• https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/98295/confusing-rules-for-claiming-free-prescriptions-and-dental-treatment-need-changing/

I'd personally be talking to someone like the CAB to get proper advice before proceeding further.  The details of the correspondence will be key, so make sure you take everything when you talk to them.

The Pharmacy at the Doctors surgery have a procedure and it is usual practice to ask those under retirement age whether they have to pay or not. Interesting that you say you've not attended for 40yrs, which might suggest you are or close to exemption age. Could it be the Pharmacy wrongly assumed you were not obliged to pay, that may provide some grounds for the situation to have happened providing you did not sign exempt status on collection....just sayin'

Chantastic said

Never seen a doctor for over 40 years but a few months  ago I went and was prescribed a course of medicine, at no time was question of payment or exemption was mentioned. Anyway months later I was sent a letter that I claimed free medicine, that I have not produce an exemption and that I should either pay or challenge. There were online links they said I could process my challenge but not payment. Due to my status I most likely not entitled to free medicine but because they have not given me any details to process payment or even provide me with the invoice for the cost of medicine there is no way I could process payment so I just followed what the NHS online ask about why I did not pay and explained. I also explained that I want to pay and there is no option on their online link for me to process the payments and explicetley said the delay might result in them issuing me with a Penalty Charge, I mentioned it at least twice each time they just resend me the same link with the usual blah blah about challenging for exemption. And now my fear has been realised and they want to charge me £99 plus cost of medicine and details how to pay. Are the NHS run by bandits?

BTW any help much appreciated.

 

Edited by Chantastic

No, the NHS isn't run by bandits. lol.  It's run by bureaucrats, working within a system that is seriously underfunded and under-resourced. Consequently silly mistakes happen and resolving them can seem like trying to sprint whilst knee-deep in treacle. My advice would be to write a brief, polite, carefully worded letter to the Chief Executive of whatever NHS trust is sending you these letters. Briefly explain the situation and request his or her intervention. Enclose copies of all correspondence and request a response within 14 days. Send the letter by recorded delivery.

Ooops sorry age 60 qualifies for free prescriptions.

"Due to my status I most likely not entitled to free medicine"

Seems to be quite simple then. You needed to pay but for some reason, you didn't do so. If there's a penalty attached for trying to avoid to pay and it's something you did then you should just pay then penalty. if not then you can go to court and challenge the penalty. Trying to avoid it will just cost you more. 

indemnity said

The Pharmacy at the Doctors surgery have a procedure and it is usual practice to ask those under retirement age whether they have to pay or not. Interesting that you say you've not attended for 40yrs, which might suggest you are or close to exemption age. Could it be the Pharmacy wrongly assumed you were not obliged to pay, that may provide some grounds for the situation to have happened providing you did not sign exempt status on collection....just sayin'

No chance of that.  It does say on the letter and the website that a doctor or pharmacy error is not accepted as an excuse

I had two earlier this year because my exemption had run out.  I renewed the exemption and phoned them.  They waived the penalty but I still had to pay for the prescriptions