Fines totalling more than £120,000 were handed out to people who falsely claimed they were entitled to free prescriptions in Liverpool, according to new research.
In England, patients pay for their prescriptions and dental treatment, which is an important source of funding for the NHS.
Each year, the NHS loses significant funds due to people claiming free prescriptions or dental treatment they aren't entitled to.
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However, the cost of prescriptions goes up every year. While this increase is usually only by a small margin, it can add up.
This is especially the case if you require more than one prescription to treat one or various conditions.
Some groups of people are exempt from paying prescription charges, including pensioners, children and some people claiming benefits.
The NHS carries out checks and If a patient cannot confirm they are entitled to claim free NHS prescriptions, they'll be sent an enquiry letter asking them to confirm their entitlement.
If they do not respond within 28 days, they'll be sent a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
The penalty charge is five times the original amount owed, up to a maximum of £100.
Online pharmacy, FROM MARS, claims research they have carried out reveals the highest number of PCN's issued to people who haven’t paid for their prescriptions when they should have.
Liverpool comes in fifth on the table with 1,375 PCN's being issued reaping a total of £120,709 in fines.
Leeds, Bradford, and Manchester have all paid a higher total of fines, with the number one spot being taken by Birmingham with a whopping £252,257 in fines paid.
And when it comes to the local authorities with most PCN fines per head, then Knowsley comes in third with 504 PCN's issued resulting in £45,325 in fines.
The top 10 locations for the number of PCN fines
Rank // Location // Number of PCN fines // Value of PCN fines
- Birmingham // 2,810 // £252,257
- Manchester // 1,757 // £159,161
- Leeds // 1,636 // £144,655
- Bradford // 1,560 // £146,570
- Liverpool // 1,375 // £120,729
- County Durham // 1,235 // £116,452
- Cornwall // 1,107 // £97,292
- Sheffield // 1,058 // £95,641
- Newham // 880 // £78,175
- Oldham // 819 // £72,198
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