Patients not told about prescription discounts
NEARLY a million patients are overpaying for prescriptions because the NHS is failing to promote annual “season tickets” designed to save sick patients money, campaigners have said.
A Freedom of Information request by Moneysavingexpert.com found 800,000 people are overpaying by an average of £50 a year because they do not have a prescription prepayment certificate, which lets patients pay upfront for prescriptions in return for free ones at the end of the period.
Last night, campaigners accused the NHS of failing to promote discounts designed to give financial help to some of the most vulnerable and sick people.
Matina Loizou, co-chairman of the Prescription Charges Coalition, which campaigns to end prescription charges for people with long-term medical conditions, said: “It is unacceptable for the NHS to say they are helping by offering a discount they fail to promote.
“While the certificates offer some relief to those who can afford the upfront cost, they are not widely publicised. We speak to people who are forced to choose between purchasing medicine and heating their homes: something has to change.”
Patients can apply for a season ticket by filling in a form online, at their GP surgery or by phoning a helpline. But in a coalition survey, 40 per cent of respondents said they found out about the scheme more than a year after their diagnosis. By using a season ticket anybody paying for 13 or more items over the past year could have saved at least £5.20, calculations show.
In the 2016-17 financial year, prescription items cost £8.40 each with a 12-month PPC costing £104.
Figures disclosed by the NHS Business Services Authority show that 825,677 people in England paid for 13 or more prescription items in the 2016-17 financial year without a season ticket.
On average, these patients paid for 18 prescriptions, meaning they could have saved £47.20 a year.
Steve Nowottny, of the consumer website, said: “A huge number of patients are paying more than they need to. It’s clear there’s still a lack of awareness.” The NHS Business Services Authority has been contacted for comment.