Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘The following information is requested as summary figures only:

Q1. Number of prescriptions received/processed that had an applicable (i.e. dispensing) date (not the date received by you), separated by month, as follows:

1st Feb 2024 to 29th Feb 2024

1st Mar 2024 to 31st Mar 2024

1st Apr 2024 to 30th Apr 2024

1st May 2024 to 31st May 2024

Q2. Additionally the number of PCN/Enquiry letters issued for wrongly claimed prescription exemptions for the same periods as identified above, this is to be based on the date that the prescription exemption was claimed NOT the date you issued the PCN/Enquiry letter.

Q3. Additionally, the number of PCN/Enquiry letters that resulted in full payment of the prescription charge plus the PCN charge

Q4. and separately the number that only paid the prescription charge not the PCN charge.

Example of data:

9,050,993 prescriptions were processed at the point of dispensing in the month of Feb 2024, of these 9,050,993 prescriptions 30,457 were issued with an Enquiry letter relating to a prescription exemption claimed, of these 30,457 Enquiry letters 10,342 paid just the prescription charge, 2,346 paid the PCN and prescription charge, the remainder were valid/accepted 'challenges' and were not paid.’

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 14 August 2024.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested and a copy of the information is attached.

Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data.

Question 1

We have considered this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA 2000) and are issuing a refusal notice under section 17 of the FOIA.

The NHSBSA does hold the requested information; however, we consider that this information is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of FOIA. This provides an exemption from the duty to disclose information where this is reasonable accessible to an applicant by other means.

This information is already available in the public domain and can be accessed at:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/prescription-cost-analysis-pca-monthly-data

Please see the following link to view the section 21 in full -

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/21

Question 2

A copy of the data is attached.

Please note, the prescription batch enquiry letters for May have not had time to reach the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) stage therefore, the volume for May is 0.

We are unable to say whether a prescription exemption has been wrongly claimed, for example, it could be that the patient’s details we hold do not match the details on the exemption.

The data provided covers how many enquiry letters and PCNs were sent from that prescription batch period.

Question 3

A copy of the data is attached.

Please note, the data provided includes the volume of all cases which have paid prescription and penalty charge. This will include cases which have paid for the prescription, penalty charge and the surcharge.

Question 4

A copy of the data is attached.

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing, the data please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2024” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.