'Despicable' fraud costs NHS in England £1bn a year

[Vince_UK]

I used to work for a company that is a global leader in medical equipment mainly anesthesia and patient monitoring. We also supplied 3rd party accessories such as mask etc. I was responsible for the manufacturing and supply chain. Believe me the patient element of this is very small compared to the wider scheme of things.
Where I currently am it is an endemic nightmare.
The capital equipment procurement processes are not transparent.

 

[temporary_spike]

Whether it's us 'end-users' that are the problem or not, a timely reminder to check your NHS Medical exemption certificate is still valid! I'm sure the NHS will be checking up on us first, as that's the easy target, either you have an exemption and don't pay or you end up paying for the prescription and a fine!

 

[HOBIE]

Unused prescriptions, as in tablets collected and left in the cupboard: would these people get repeates and collect more of the same tablets? Really.

How many tablets your get: I used to get three months work of a lot of my tablets were three monthly batches (newer prescriptions started weekly/fourtnightly to monthly). Since changing GP practice last year I get monthly.

Hobbie, are you thinking of people ordering a repeat prescription long time before you've used the current supply, and maybe building up a stock/extra supply? I believe my GP's system has a time set that a repeat can not be ordered in. That is, you have to wait before you can get more.

If tablets where 20 per pkt or the same it would be better. I am on 10 different a day with all different numbers of tablets per strip. If they standardized the boxes it would be easier with less waste. If you where told to take tablets for a week & had one box with 7 tablets great.

 

[Ralph-YK]

. If you where told to take tablets for a week & had one box with 7 tablets great.

I have had prescriptions for 7. 14. 28 and a few different ones.