Barts Health Hospital Prescription Charge

gallaghb

My wife was sent to A+E on Thursday last week after seeing her GP. She was admitted to a Major Trauma unit, had blood tests etc. Was given the ok and discharged the same day and given some steroids and was told to take the rest and given instructions on how many to take etc. It was only 2 days worth so she has since paid for a prescription for another weeks worth.

Today in the post have had a bill from the hospital for the prescription charge for the 2 days worth of steroids provided. Surely the cost of medication given whilst in hospital should be paid for by the NHS? Does anyone know whether this is correct - I can't find anything to clarify but it just doesn't seem right. Surely they should have at least given a weeks worth of the steroids.

The prescription they have attached a copy of to the letter even mentions a 7 day duration...
The letter mentions posters that tell you you have to pay and machines to pay at the exit.

shaun_from_Africa

gallaghb wrote: »

Surely the cost of medication given whilst in hospital should be paid for by the NHS? Does anyone know whether this is correct - I can't find anything to clarify but it just doesn't seem right. Surely they should have at least given a weeks worth of the steroids.

According to this NHS website:
http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcosts/pages/Prescriptioncosts.aspx

There shouldn't have been any charge.

If you need to access the services below then medicines are
free:

Medicines administered at a hospital or an NHS walk-in
centre. Prescribed contraceptives.
Medicines personally administered by a GP.

visidigi

gallaghb wrote: »

My wife was sent to A+E on Thursday last week after seeing her GP. She was admitted to a Major Trauma unit, had blood tests etc. Was given the ok and discharged the same day and given some steroids and was told to take the rest and given instructions on how many to take etc. It was only 2 days worth so she has since paid for a prescription for another weeks worth.

Today in the post have had a bill from the hospital for the prescription charge for the 2 days worth of steroids provided. Surely the cost of medication given whilst in hospital should be paid for by the NHS? Does anyone know whether this is correct - I can't find anything to clarify but it just doesn't seem right. Surely they should have at least given a weeks worth of the steroids.

The prescription they have attached a copy of to the letter even mentions a 7 day duration...
The letter mentions posters that tell you you have to pay and machines to pay at the exit.

I had one of these recently from an A&E visit in a different trust area from my own. I too was given a two day dose instead of weeks worth, when I disputed it the hospital tool payment for one prescription versus the three I had dispensed.

visidigi

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

According to this NHS website:
http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcosts/pages/Prescriptioncosts.aspx

There shouldn't have been any charge.

That applies when using the Pre paid Prescription Card...which is the page you copied it from, it does not say that prescriptions are free at a hospital...

shaun_from_Africa

visidigi wrote: »

That applies when using the Pre paid Prescription Card

I missed that!
Thanks visdigi.

System

It is now fairly standard across the board that items dispensed by the hospital pharmacy to outpatients attract a prescription charge.

gallaghb

visidigi wrote: »

That applies when using the Pre paid Prescription Card...which is the page you copied it from, it does not say that prescriptions are free at a hospital...

I think you can read it both ways. The page is about help with prescription costs, which the prescription card does. Then goes on to say medicine is free when administered in hospital. If you were in hospital for a couple of days for whatever reason and had 2 or 3 medicines given you wouldn't expect to be sent a bill in the post surely?!

I think the difference here is it's A+E and not 100% clear on if she was ever an technically an in patient... Although did have a bed and put in a gown etc.

I am going to write a letter of dispute based on the fact that the prescription states a duration of 7 days and they only gave 2 days worth - they haven't provided what they are trying to charge for! The day after hospital she went to local pharmacy to pick up 7 days worth and paid the £8.05.

puddle96

Unless you are exempt from paying prescription charges then any medication prescribed in out patient or A&E departments has to be paid for.
If you are given medication to take home with you after an In- patient stay then the Trust I work in does not charge. As the OP's wife was discharged the same day I doubt that she meets the definition of an in Patient, according to the hospital, and hence the charge
HTH

tomtontom

It sickens me that someone would quibble over £8 when they have just received emergency care free of charge. Do you have any idea how much that treatment actually cost?

For reference, in the given scenario the prescription would be chargeable - she was not an in patient. I used to be an NHS finance manager so dealt with this everyday.

visidigi

gallaghb wrote: »

I think you can read it both ways. The page is about help with prescription costs, which the prescription card does. Then goes on to say medicine is free when administered in hospital. If you were in hospital for a couple of days for whatever reason and had 2 or 3 medicines given you wouldn't expect to be sent a bill in the post surely?!

I think the difference here is it's A+E and not 100% clear on if she was ever an technically an in patient... Although did have a bed and put in a gown etc.

I am going to write a letter of dispute based on the fact that the prescription states a duration of 7 days and they only gave 2 days worth - they haven't provided what they are trying to charge for! The day after hospital she went to local pharmacy to pick up 7 days worth and paid the £8.05.

You're reading what you want to read, not whats actually written. The full paragraph is as follows:

PPCs are available by 10 monthly direct debit instalment payments.

The prescription prepayment certificates allow anyone to obtain all the prescriptions they need for £2 per week.

Find out more about the prescription prepayment certificate.

If you need to access the services below then medicines are free:
Medicines administered at a hospital or an NHS walk-in centre.
Prescribed contraceptives.
Medicines personally administered by a GP.
Medicines supplied at a hospital or Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) clinic for the treatment of a sexually transmitted infection or tuberculosis.

It merely says the PPC can be used in a hospital.

As for writing a letter, quite honestly, you should and they most certainly do have more important things to deal with than a prescription dispute that isn't valid.

It'll probably get argued, which will cost them and you money as they do pass these to debt collectors to collect and by the time they do there is certainly (and rightly so) an additional cost.

£8 to be treated and you want to dispute it. Honestly, pointless

gallaghb

Hardly free of charge is it, I pay £6500 per year in NI.

I'm not bothered about paying £8 – we paid £8 the day after for the prescription. The prescription they are trying to charge her for was never provided. If any of you would pay for a prescription you weren't given then I think you are on the wrong forum.