Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department plans to require the NHS Business Service Authority to provide reminders to patients whose prepayment certificates are due to expire.

There are no plans for such a requirement.

It is the responsibility of the prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) holder to ensure that it is valid each time it is used. For annual certificates where a postal or email address is available, NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) issue reminders to the address or email provided by the PPC holder when their PPC is about to expire.

Currently NHS BSA do not issue reminders for 3-month certificates if it requires a physical letter to be sent due to postal and paper costs. In the Terms and Conditions, applicants are reminded to notify NHS BSA of any changes to their name, address or email, to buy a new PPC in good time and of the possibility of receiving a penalty charge if they claim they have a valid PPC when they do not. No communication is sent to the PPC holder when the PPC has already expired.