A woman who miscarried was fined by the NHS for claiming a free prescription while pregnant. Sadie Hawkes, 33, lost her baby before she had received the maternity exemption certificate that entitled her to free prescriptions throughout her pregnancy.
Due to the pain and trauma of miscarrying, she didn't attend her scheduled appointment with her midwife to collect the certificate. Three months later, she was fined and charged the price of the medication.
After explaining her situation to the NHS, she had to provide proof of pregnancy before the fine was withdrawn - but she is still required to pay the prescription charge. Now Sadie is promoting a petition to change the rules so that certificates can be backdated to the beginning of a pregnancy.
