More than £24million in fines were issued for unpaid prescription charges in England in 2022. Research from Now Patient has uncovered the areas of the UK where the most fines were issued.
The group submitted a Freedom of Information request to the NHS Business Services Authority to find out where the most fines were issued per 100,000 people in 2022.
These are the 10 areas which had to pay the highest amount in fines for unpaid prescriptions:
- NHS Greater Manchester – 617 fines per 100,000 people
Greater Manchester was issued 20,612 fines for unpaid prescriptions, the highest in England
- NHS Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly – 594 fines per 100,000 people
Just under 4,000 fines were issued during 2022, costing residents around £380,000
- NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria – 577 fines per 100,000 people
There were 11,579 fines issued in the region, the fifth highest in the UK during 2022. This amounted to just over £1million.
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These were the regions which had the highest total amounts of fines:
- NHS Greater Manchester £1,894,412
- NHS North East and North Cumbria £1,755,836
- NHS Cheshire and Merseyside £1,324,631
- NHS West Yorkshire – £1,202,166
- NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria – £1,032,296
- NHS North East London – £859,965
- NHS Humber and North Yorkshire – £844,568
- NHS Birmingham and Solihull – £786,631
- NHS South Yorkshire – £761,294
- NHS Kent and Medway – £634,918.
When a person has not paid for their NHS prescriptions, they are sent a penalty charge notice and be asked to pay the original prescription costs as well as an additional charge.
The penalty charge is five times the original amount owed and is capped at a maximum of £100.
However, once a notice has been issued, if no payment is received within 28 days, a surcharge may be added.
A person may receive a penalty charge notice either for not paying for prescriptions or for not paying for dental treatment.
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People in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland get their NHS prescriptions for free of charge.
Those who live in England can get their prescriptions for free if they meet one of these criteria:
- Aged 60 or over
- Aged under 16
- Aged 16 to 18 and in full-time education
- Pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)
- Have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
- Have a continuing physical disability that prevents them going out without help from another person and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
- Hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
- Are an NHS inpatient.
Express.co.uk has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.
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