Prescription exemption cards

[MacG3]

Is your perscription exemption card up to date? As a diabetic you are usually exempt from paying perscription charges.

The NHS has finally got around to auditing patients who tick boxes on the back of perscriptions, and are currently checking about 10% of scripts against either their own data or requesting data from other sources such as the DWP.

It's a quick process, get a form from your GP's and they will send it off for you. The cards last 5 years and YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR A PENALTY PAYMENT if your card has expired.

Best to check your card, if you can't find it and are unsure then the safest bet is to fill the form in and get another one. At least that way you can at least argue you tried to do the right thing.

 

[Northerner]

I handed in my form at the beginning of December and haven't heard a thing yet - wondering how long I should wait before trying again? Anyone know how long it should take to come through?

 

[BigMalc]

Mine took about 6 weeks, but might have been as many as eight. It came back just before Xmas, but I imagine that the festive break could easily add a week or two to timings due to inevitable backlog. Hope it doesnt take too long.

 

[Northerner]

Thanks Malc. I've just got a new prescription, so won't need anything for another 6 weeks - I'll wait and see what happens. 🙂

 

[Copepod]

Last time I needed to renew, I handed it into GP and was told come come back in a couple of days to collect and send off to whatever DHSS prescription offices in Newcastle are called these days. So, perhaps worth checking that your form isn't still in GP surgery, Northerner?

 

[Northerner]

Last time I needed to renew, I handed it into GP and was told come come back in a couple of days to collect and send off to whatever DHSS prescription offices in Newcastle are called these days. So, perhaps worth checking that your form isn't still in GP surgery, Northerner?

They didn't mention collecting it when I handed it in, and I didn't do that with the original, but if it doesn't turn up in the next couple of weeks I will ask 🙂

 

[katie]

Omg I'm so glad I read this. I haven't had a card for years and thought it was automatically re-issued so was just expecting it to pop through the post one day. I'm going to go to the doctor's on the way home, thanks!

 

[Copepod]

They didn't mention collecting it when I handed it in, and I didn't do that with the original, but if it doesn't turn up in the next couple of weeks I will ask 🙂

Your surgery processses might have changed in the last 5 years. Eg want to avoid postal charges that could be met by patients, even though surgery is probably dealing with several exemption card forms per week and all could go in same envelope with a single stamp, whereas each patient only needs to post once every 5 years. In my case, I changed surgeries due to moving cities between last 2 issues, so I asked.

 

[Northerner]

Omg I'm so glad I read this. I haven't had a card for years and thought it was automatically re-issued so was just expecting it to pop through the post one day. I'm going to go to the doctor's on the way home, thanks!

Hi katie! 🙂 I also thought they would at least send a reminder/renewal form.

Hope you are well!

 

[parrdale]

with my wife's MS she has been on meds now for years, her card started in 2009 and run out oct 2014, I didn't know about it had to search high and low for the card. Speaking to one of our district nurse's they wasn't aware of them running out. could be for the most serious problems you are not really expected to live that long so only given 5 years on the card.
anyway after a few phone calls the penalty fee has been left off but still got to pay the charges.

 

[brett]

Unless living in Wales, free prescriptions for everyone

 

[trophywench]

or ancient in England ditto. Still it saves me the trouble of renewing it so no bad thing !

 

[pav]

Mine has taken around 6 weeks, after they say they never received my first application and so I had to do another one which was in the first week of Jan.

I phoned them the other day as needed a shopping list of prescriptions and my card had expired and was told they have processed both applications and issued 2 certificates, which I recieved to day.

 

[SimplesL]

My hubby received a reminder form & went into practise who arranged for it to be signed &sent off.

New card arrived about a month later.

My card expires in August so hopefully it will be the same.

 

[katie]

Hi katie! 🙂 I also thought they would at least send a reminder/renewal form.

Hope you are well!

Hi North 🙂
I'm alright thank you, hope you are all good!

I can't remember the last time I saw or heard about my medical exemption card! I've sent off my form today. Maybe they didn't have my address, but I'm not sure...

 

[Laura davies]

Hi Brett, im living in Wales does this mean i do not need an exemption card?

 

[trophywench]

Yes Laura - the whole of Wales is (are) exempt!

 

[Laura davies]

Some perk then quite ironic i paid 10k for operation privately as waiting times so long when in chronic pain but i can get free canesten pessaries if i get thrush lol

 

[Robin]

I was thinking I wouldn't have to renew my exemption certificate as I will be over 60 by the time it expires in 2017, but it occurred to me that the state pension age is changing, ( I won't receive my state pension now until I'm 66.) Does anyone know if the free prescription age is rising with the State Pension age? I tried googling it and came across one brief reference to the possibility in a government leaflet, but couldn't find anything definitive.

 

[Copepod]

Robin - there may not be a difinitive answer now. If I were you, I'd check a few months before your current card is due to expire.