Mother has recevied a dentistry charge from the NHS,

CricketJudge

Hi everyone, My first time here, I hope I am posting in the right place and need some help.
So my mother who is 75 had a dental inspection 19/12/19 and treatment on 30/12/19 at our local NHS dentist. The total cost was £150.00. In the practice, a new receptionist asked my mother "do you receive pension credit?" to which she answered that she does. This is because my father receives this benefit and this is what my mother believed she was being asked. In February my mother has received a letter demanding not only a further  £62.10 for a filling (which was done in the first visit) and a Penalty Charge Notice of £100.00. This seems to me to be their error in their questioning, and now that we have raised the matter with the NHS checking service, they are also disallowing the only paperwork we have on the matter for proof of receipt for the work done as my mother paid cash. It seems to me that the 3rd party (the receptionist) asked a vague question and has created the error, and the NHS trying to collect on their error being the gatekeepers of who allows what evidence in paperwork seems to me to be more than slightly dubious.

I would welcome any advice on how to challenge this as the checking service are disallowing the only paperwork showing my mother has paid for treatments, and how to resolve this.
Thanks in advance.
Judge,

brook2jack2

I'm I'm afraid when your mother had her treatment she would also have signed a form and ticked that she received guaranteed pension credit. 

If she does not , indeed receive guarantee pension credit, or any other benefit that entitles her to free dental treatment then she will not only have to pay for dental treatment but she would also have to pay a penalty charge. 

If she is in England or Wales there is no dental treatment band charge which costs £150 , band two in England was £62.10 , band three was £269.30.

it would seem that the NHS are collecting a band two charge and penalty charge. 

As said before there is no £150 NHS charge in England or Wales. What do the surgery say about the £150 as any money paid cash, or otherwise , for a NHS course of treatment automatically would have a receipt and a record on the surgery systems?

CricketJudge

Hi and thanks for your reply.

Yes, mother says a form was signed in the surgery and the NHS mentioned a band two charge of £62.10 in their letter. I should point out my mother has macular degeneration and has trouble reading small print. I didn't want to mention it in case it were to prejudice this somehow. We have yet to contact the dental surgery to see what they make of it. My main concern is that someone between the dental practice staff and the NHS has made an error and then trying to collect on their own error. Imagine if I billed someone for a service and then said "no we made a paperwork error and you now owe me more". It's just plain wrong, surely?

Toothsmith

Am I misunderstanding here?

Are you saying that your Mum actually paid the NHS charge, but the form seems to have gone off as if she hadn't paid but was claiming an exemption?

Now it seems to have come back with the NHS fining you for claiming the exemption when in reality your Mum paid?

CricketJudge

Hi there, 
Thanks for your reply. On the first visit and examination (19/12/19) a £50 deposit was paid in cash. This was also when the receptionist asked about "pension credit" which my father gets. Mum insists this new receptionist appeared to be in training and didn't ask about the type of pension credit. A composite filling was required on the second visit (30/12/19) when the remaining £100 was paid if this makes sense?
Thanks

Toothsmith

So £150 was paid (which sounds very like a private charge rather than an NHS one)?

But an NHS form was signed, and possibly sent of as if your Mum was claiming an exemption?

The NHS is now saying you should pay the NHS charge? But your Mum sounds like she paid for the treatment privately?

I think you need to question them (the practice) more closely. I'm sure it's just some admin muck-up, but if they're charging patients private fees AND sending off NHS claim forms as exempt for the same treatment, they are effectively being paid twice for the same treatment. Once by your Mum and once in terms of points towards their NHS contract targets. This is not allowed. 

As I said, I'm sure it's just a mess-up, as if it were fraudulent, they would get caught out very easily - as the patient, as your Mum has found, would get a letter and a demand for payment. 

brook2jack2

If your mother had the filling on the first visit what was the treatment on the second visit?

£150 is not a NHS charge so it could be this was private treatment , in which case the receipt is not for NHS treatment. 

It is ultimately the patients responsibility to make sure that they know if they should or should not pay for NHS dental treatment. If in doubt pay and claim back later. Your mum said she got guaranteed pension credit and presumably signed the form to say she got pension credit . If she does not then she will have to pay the band two payment and a fine, if the £150 she did pay is for private treatment then she will also have signed to say that and the receipt she has will state private treatment which may be why the NHS business authority will not accept it and why the practice asked if she paid for NHS treatment. 

Pollycat

It's quite a while since I was involved with PC for my parents but could your Mum have a joint claim with your Dad (which would mean that she is actually getting guaranteed pension credit)?

tacpot12

Pollycat said:

It's quite a while since I was involved with PC for my parents but could your Mum have a joint claim with your Dad (which would mean that she is actually getting guaranteed pension credit)?

It seems unlikely that the OP's Mum is receiving PC as the NHS have been told by the DWP that she is not. This could be a mistake by the DWP, but it is very unlikely. 

CricketJudge

tacpot12 said:

Pollycat said:

It's quite a while since I was involved with PC for my parents but could your Mum have a joint claim with your Dad (which would mean that she is actually getting guaranteed pension credit)?

It seems unlikely that the OP's Mum is receiving PC as the NHS have been told by the DWP that she is not. This could be a mistake by the DWP, but it is very unlikely. 

This statement appears to be the most accurate. Dad receives it, mum does not. However, as mum has macular degeneration she was unable to read the form and there was apparently no mention of the type of pension credit by the trainee receptionist (apparently there are two types?) so I feel she was misled into an inaccurate statement. Thanks for all the advice, I will chase this up with the dentist

silvercar

Toothsmith said:

So £150 was paid (which sounds very like a private charge rather than an NHS one)?

But an NHS form was signed, and possibly sent of as if your Mum was claiming an exemption?

The NHS is now saying you should pay the NHS charge? But your Mum sounds like she paid for the treatment privately?

I think you need to question them (the practice) more closely. I'm sure it's just some admin muck-up, but if they're charging patients private fees AND sending off NHS claim forms as exempt for the same treatment, they are effectively being paid twice for the same treatment. Once by your Mum and once in terms of points towards their NHS contract targets. This is not allowed. 

As I said, I'm sure it's just a mess-up, as if it were fraudulent, they would get caught out very easily - as the patient, as your Mum has found, would get a letter and a demand for payment. 

Would be a very unscrupulous dentist to do this, but he could think that he would get away with it just because he believed your Mum was exempt. If so, I wonder what he can do when he finds out that she isn't exempt. Is it possible for dentists to recall NHS claims?