I have been told to pay a £150 fine by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) which suspects me of fraudulently ticking the prepayment certificate (PPC) box on a prescription I collected. As someone with chronic illness, I have been paying for a PPC by monthly direct debit for nine years because it’s cheaper than paying for each prescription separately.
I was told my direct debit payments had been stopped by the NHSBSA when I failed to respond to a renewal letter that I never received. Until now, the PPC has renewed automatically. I was told the practice was started during Covid and the letter was sent to an address I left five years ago and returned to sender. Apparently, the NHSBSA database is separate to the NHS one, so you have to notify the former separately if you move.
