Patients being fined by BSA for wrongful claims
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- Published: Thursday, 19 October 2017 06:02
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The BBC reports that more than 40,000 people a year in England are getting fines of £100 or £150 - from an automated system that dentists say is hitting the most vulnerable. The fines, which amount to about £4m per year, are being applied by a random screening process that checks on whether people going to the dentist are really eligible for free treatment.
The BDA has warned that people such as dementia sufferers are unfairly getting caught up in a system meant to stop fraudsters from getting free treatment. The NHS accepts there is a problem with errors and is promising changes. But dentists say rising numbers of people with dementia, or those with learning difficulties, are being unfairly fined for something as simple as ticking a wrong box in confusing paperwork. When these have been challenged, about 90% have been overturned as having been incorrectly applied.
Charlotte Waite, a senior dentist working in Loughborough, Leicestershire, says this is a problem appearing on a ‘daily basis’. She said: “This has become a significant barrier to care. It can cause a lot of distress if people feel they are seen as fraudulent.” Mrs Waite is vice-chair of the BDA's England community dental services committee and is leading a campaign to stop a wave of fines for elderly and frail people, those with dementia or learning difficulties, who have made honest mistakes when filling in forms about free care.
She says even when patients are eligible for free treatment, an incorrect description of specific benefits or failure to renew documents can trigger a penalty fine, which rises to £150 if there is a delay in payment. And she says because it typically affects vulnerable and often low-income families, there has been a lack of a "powerful advocate" to raise the issue.
The NHS Business Services Authority, which oversees the fining system, accepts there is a problem and is looking for a way to make improvements. A spokeswoman says no-one wants vulnerable people to be unfairly fined or for dentists to waste valuable clinical time. But,she added, “The checks have an important role in making sure free treatment isn't being unfairly accessed by those who should pay.”
The NHS says it will run a national awareness-raising campaign, so people will have a much better understanding of who is entitled to free dental treatment. There are plans for simpler forms and clearer information, particularly for vulnerable patients. "We want to make sure that patients, particularly those who struggle with literacy, understand if they are entitled to receive free dental treatment or if they should pay," says a NHS Business Services Authority spokeswoman. "We recognise the importance of information and access to it for everyone."
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