Soldato
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I'm not sure how they check (I'd assume via national insurance number) but I knew someone that got caught out with the dentist.
How are prescriptions checked?
- Thread starter robfosters
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Your doctor doesn't have access to that kind of information. Also exemptions can change all the time depending on your circumstances and there are a myriad of reasons why you might be exempt.
I don't think it is as easy as having to offer proof to the pharmacist off your benefit entitlement or exemption.
Soldato
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You should have called the Police and handed your friend in!
It is a shame that given the chance to be honest and knowing that resources on the NHS are already stretched that she does this. I would probably just have a word if a friend of mine did that and owned up to me.
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I suppose we have the confidentiality and 'social stigma' crap to contend with in the issue.
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You should have called the Police and handed your friend in!
It is a shame that given the chance to be honest and knowing that resources on the NHS are already stretched that she does this. I would probably just have a word if a friend of mine did that and owned up to me.
Mate,
All I would get would be "Oh you're alright, they dont cost you a penny, so keep out of it"
Mmm...........Maybe I need new friends.
You should have called the Police and handed your friend in!
It is a shame that given the chance to be honest and knowing that resources on the NHS are already stretched that she does this. I would probably just have a word if a friend of mine did that and owned up to me.
Yeah, because that's what friends do, they call the police.
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Depends on how big the reward is.
For some perhaps. For me it would entirely depend on the crime committed and even then I would try to get them to do the right thing themselves first.
. That's a reward.
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Why?
Many prescription items cost quite a bit more than £8 if you had to pay outright.
If it was £8 per prescription rather than item, either the NHS would be in even worse a mess than now, or taxes would go up.
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I just think it's harsh to expect people to pay through the nose to treat a medical condition which is no fault of their own when they already pay tax and NI.
That was a tongue in cheek comment. I feel you may have taken it a tad too literal.
I know, my response was more for the benefit of the guitar hero up there....
To expect People living in England to pay...but to be fair, the cost of a yearly prescription card is hardly prohibitive whereas the costs to the NHS can be.
As long as those in need get the assistance they need I have no issue paying prescription charges.
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Scotland thought it was fair, why can't we?
Soldato
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The NHSBSA have very recently started to undertake additional eligibility checking on a random sample of prescriptions. I believe this is cross checked with DWP data and/or other sources.
When prescriptions are processed, no patient identifiable information is captured so it would only be through the random sample that you could be found out. Over 40 million prescription items are processed in England every month. The chance of your prescription being randomly sampled is very small.
However, defrauding the NHS is wrong.
When prescriptions are processed, no patient identifiable information is captured so it would only be through the random sample that you could be found out. Over 40 million prescription items are processed in England every month. The chance of your prescription being randomly sampled is very small.
However, defrauding the NHS is wrong.
Pretty much it I think.
I suspect that at some point the government will link the pharmacists systems up to a benefits DB to let them check, as I think the pharmacists are starting to move towards getting prescriptions direct from the GP's (I'm sure I saw something about "connected pharmacists" or similar at my chemists, but may be completely wrong as to what it was for).
When I was exempt it was a case of filling in the box on the prescription, I can't remember being asked for proof (although my dentist required a note).
Soldato
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In an ideal world this would be the case but the information governance arrangements would be immense. GP practices and GP practice computer systems are all private companies.
I'm not disputing that, but how Scotland or Wales adjust their NHS budgets doesn't mean that care is any better for it. Figures show that even though the English NHS spends less per head than the other UK devolved health care systems, it actually has better Health outcomes.
There is also the issue of scale, population size impacts the costs enormously, which I suspect is your answer.