Woman protests over dental charge fine
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- Published: Wednesday, 14 February 2018 07:55
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A woman from Stockport has spoken out to raise awareness of the issue after she was fined £100 for accidentally filling out a form incorrectly at her dentist. She said it affects thousands of people each year. She revealed that in her case: “The details were correct – I had just put them in the wrong box.” The BSA has reported that a total of 217,539 fines were issued in the first six months of 2017/18.
Jane Mitchell was undertaking a routine visit to the dentist in July last year when the error occurred. She receives discounted treatment as she is on a low income, but inadvertently put her details in the box for patients who get their treatment for free. Six weeks later she received a letter from the Dental Exemption Checking Service, saying that she had ‘fraudulently’ claimed free dental treatment and would have to pay a fine of £100.
Jane said: “I couldn’t think what had happened so I went back to the dentist and asked to see the form I had signed. I phoned the exemption service and explained what had happened, but they said it didn’t matter because I had signed to say the details I had put on the form were correct. The details were correct – I had just put them in the wrong box.”
“This is something that happens quite a lot – it is easily done as it is quite a little form. The process to even get the information on how to appeal was impossible, the website just sends you around in circles. I had to make two complaints to two different departments, but they were just not acknowledging what I was saying. It was like talking to a robot; in fact a robot might have been more helpful.”
Her MP Mr Wragg said he was 'disappointed that the NHS Business Services Authority have so far demonstrated unwillingness to exercise its discretion in this instance'. He added: “Both Ms Mitchell and the NHS Authority agree that that she was in possession of a certificate entitling her to help with the cost of her treatment, and that this was a genuine error, which essentially amounts to placing a tick in the wrong box on a form. I hope they will be minded to reconsider their decision in this case.”
Alison O’Brien, head of Loss Recovery Services at the NHS Business Services Authority, says it is ‘the patient's own responsibility to check their entitlement before completing the declaration, which states that making an incorrect claim may result in a penalty charge’. She said: “The penalty charge can only be waived in exceptional circumstances or where patients can show that they did not act with lack of care, so anyone who thinks they may qualify for free treatment should double check before their appointment. We’re working with partner organisations to educate patients on the rules around eligibility for free treatment and the consequences of claiming incorrectly.”
Question in the House
In the House of Lords, retired dentist Lord Colwyn asked the minister what was the total number of fines issued for incorrectly claiming an exemption on NHS dental fees in the first six months of the financial year 2017–18.
In reply, minister Lord O’Shaughnessy said that the BSA reports that a total of 217,539 fines were issued to patients on the grounds of incorrectly claiming an exemption from NHS Dental Patient Charges in the first six months of the financial year 2017–18.
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