Request

I would like to make an information request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. My request is as follows. Please treat each of the points below as individual requests.

1. The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 for non-payment of prescriptions. 

2. The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 by year of issue for non-payment of prescriptions.

3. The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 where the age of the person served upon is 59 and 60 years old for non-payment of prescriptions.

4. The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 where the age of the person served upon is 58 years old for non-payment of prescriptions.

5. The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 by age of the person served upon for non-payment of prescriptions.

6. The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 by age of the person served upon and by year of issue for non-payment of prescriptions.

7. The amount of money collected by the NHSBA from Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 by age of the person served upon and by year of issue for non-payment of prescriptions.

8. The total number of Prepayment Certificates which have not renewed due to the applicant being within 9 months of turning 60 since the 1st April 2015.

9. The total number of Prepayment Certificates which have not renewed due to the applicant being withing 9 months of turning 60 by year since the 1st April 2015.

10. The amount of money collected by the NHSBA from Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 for non-payment of prescriptions.

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

Response

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

Date range: 6 April 2015 – 6 June 2025

Question 1- The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 for non-payment of prescriptions. 

6805348 penalty charge notices (PCNs).

Question 3 - The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 where the age of the person served upon is 59 and 60 years old for non-payment of prescriptions.

238809 PCNs.

Question 4 - The total number of Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 where the age of the person served upon is 58 years old for non-payment of prescriptions.

165140 PCNs.

Question 10 - The amount of money collected by the NHSBA from Penalty Charge Notices served by the NHSBA since the 1st April 2015 for non-payment of prescriptions.

Payment (£) = 135058156.62

Question 2,5,6 and 7

A copy of the information is attached.

Question 8 and 9

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA.

This is because we do not see the exact date of birth in our data. The age we see in our data is an aggregated column, so we cannot hold the exact date of birth. Consequently, this means we do not know whether they were within 9 months of turning 60.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

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 License 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 2025” This information is licensed under the terms of the Open Government license:

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

Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the license.

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.