VERY WORRIED NHS Exemption certificate - used after expired

drdjnicholls

I have been exempt from NHS prescription charges as I have been a type 1 diabetic since birth in 1954 and get my insulin and other medicines every month when I endorse the prescription form that I am exempt,. Today I came across my exemption card and with horror saw it expired in 11/2011. I telephoned the Newcastle office who issued it straightaway and they could not have been more unhelpful and really frightened me.
I explained that my mum died in 2011 when things fell apart for me and I had to move to sheltered housing where care is available 24/7 as I am now a brittle diabetic with no warnings of 'hypos'. Also I did not receive any reminder letter that they say will be sent. The card is only renewed every 5 yards so renewal hardly sticks in your mind.
They said that despite all this I would be fined or be told to pay all my prescription costs for 11/2011 - 2/2013 (when i will renew the card)
or both and they told me to contact a particular office to discuss it
adding they would be more likely to 'go easy' on me; if I contacted them rather than them finding out about it (which I now discover is 1 in 70,000). They gave me a steady list of wrong numbers which only increased my stress and worry and by the time I ascertained the correct one (nearly 3 hours later) , the office was closed and I had to make do
with leaving a message.
I kept saying that I was entitled to an exemption card in the 11/2011 - 2/2013 period as I was still diabetic taking insulnn but they kept replying that that was irrelevant - whether I was entitled to a card or not, I did not actually have one and I could therefore be forced to pay or be fined.
I am VERY worried about this. I do not want advice about how to go on from here but whether the Newcastle office was correct in what it said about the likelihood of fine/payment in view of the other things they told me which turned out to be completely wrong (different people there were contradicting each other much of the time).
Thanks

antonic

I`m not sure why you need to produce an exemption card, as the medication you get for your diabetes makes you exempt from prescription charges.

I have been type 2 diabetic for 12 years, and been on medication for the lat 10 years (metformin and others) and when I collect my repeat prescriptions all I do is tick Box E (Medical Exemption), sign and date it and hand it back to the pharmacy (Boots for me).

I have NEVER been asked to prove that I am exempt.

xylophone

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/Prescriptioncosts.aspx
"The MedEx lasts for five years and then needs to be renewed. You may receive a reminder that your certificate needs to be renewed. If you don't receive a reminder, it is your responsibility to ensure that it is renewed.

The above seems to be the position concerning renewals?
You seem to have been told that you "could" not "will" be fined?

Beetlemama

Its going to be the same situation as a lot of things, we can impose fines for people not supplying information for council tax but we don't, we accept that people get confused or panic or ignore it when they're scared, i would imagine they reserve the right to impose a fine for someone who is wilfully misleading them in dishonesty.

drdjnicholls

Beetlemama wrote: »

Its going to be the same situation as a lot of things, we can impose fines for people not supplying information for council tax but we don't, we accept that people get confused or panic or ignore it when they're scared, i would imagine they reserve the right to impose a fine for someone who is wilfully misleading them in dishonesty.

How does this relate to my situation?

drdjnicholls

antonic wrote: »

I`m not sure why you need to produce an exemption card, as the medication you get for your diabetes makes you exempt from prescription charges.

I have been type 2 diabetic for 12 years, and been on medication for the lat 10 years (metformin and others) and when I collect my repeat prescriptions all I do is tick Box E (Medical Exemption), sign and date it and hand it back to the pharmacy (Boots for me).

I have NEVER been asked to prove that I am exempt.

But do you have a card?

drdjnicholls

xylophone wrote: »

"The MedEx lasts for five years and then needs to be renewed. You may receive a reminder that your certificate needs to be renewed. If you don't receive a reminder, it is your responsibility to ensure that it is renewed.

The above seems to be the position concerning renewals?
You seem to have been told that you "could" not "will" be fined?

Yes, but as I said, I wanted to know 'whether the Newcastle office was correct in what it said about the likelihood of fine/payment in view of the other things they told me which turned out to be completely wrong',
i.e, I wanted to hear from someone who KNOWS whether the Newcastle office was correct rather than someone who could guess or
surmise which anyone can do.

FBaby

I wouldn't worry. It is so obvious that your card would have been automatically renewed, they are not going to bother chasing you for costs that you wouldn't have had to pay anyway. The scary bunny on the phone was probably doing his act for those who actually received treatment they were not entitled to.

~Chameleon~

I don't have a card yet I always tick the box to state I am exempt due to being diabetic. I've never in 15 years been asked to show a card and neither have I been "fined" for not holding a valid card. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Sounds like some jobsworth having a bad day

[Deleted User]

i have a card for my epilpesy(also recently diabetic)OP you could ask at your GPs for proof that you were entitled during that period,i certainly wouldnt worry about it

Horseunderwater

If a diabetic is only controlled by diet alone, then they are not medically exempt - it is only those on tablets or other sugar controlling drugs that are. And yes I do have a card that is auto renewed each 5 years. I never even applied for mine the first time - it just arrived. But I also have another illness that also qualifies me for it too - Myasthenia Gravis. So if anyone has that illness note that you should also get one of those exemption cards. The worst thing is that it could be the drugs I am on for the Type 2 that caused the 2nd - nobody knows, but so many drugs have side effects these days.