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Understanding penalty charges

In England, patients pay for their NHS prescriptions and NHS dental treatment. This is an important source of funding for the NHS.

Each year, the NHS loses significant funds due to people claiming free prescriptions or dental treatment they weren’t entitled to. This directly reduces the money available for core patient care.

We carry out checks on patient claims. If we cannot confirm during our checks that a patient was entitled to claim free NHS prescriptions or NHS dental treatment, they'll be sent an enquiry letter asking them to confirm their entitlement. If they do not respond within 28 days, they'll be sent a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

How penalty charges are calculated

If you're sent a PCN, you'll be asked to pay both:

  • the original NHS prescription or dental treatment charges
  • an additional penalty charge

The penalty charge is 5 times the original amount owed, up to a maximum of £100.

Once a Penalty Charge Notice has been issued, if no payment has been made within 28 days, a surcharge may be added.

How to pay your penalty charge

If you’ve been sent a PCN there are several ways you can pay.

Pay by Direct Debit

Direct Debit lets you pay your penalty charge over a number of months, on a date that suits you. The length of the plan and the monthly amount will depend on your outstanding balance.

To set up a Direct Debit you must:

  • use your own bank account
  • be the only person required to authorise debits from the account

You can set up a direct debit using our online Respond to your letter service.

Contact us if you are unable to set up a Direct Debit online.

Pay by debit or credit card

You can pay in full or make a partial payment towards your outstanding balance.

The easiest way to make a payment is using our online Respond to your letter service.

You can also make payment over the phone 24 hours a day by calling our payment line. The number to call will depend on whether it is for a prescription or dental charge.

For prescription charges, call 0300 330 9291.

For dental charges, call 0300 330 1293.

Find out more about call charges

Other ways to pay

You can also send a cheque or postal order payable to ‘NHS Business Services Authority’. Make sure to write your reference number and postcode on the back of the cheque or postal order. The address to send it to will depend on whether it is for a prescription or dental charge.

For prescription charges, send it to:

Prescription Exemption Checking Team
NHSBSA
Bridge House
152 Pilgrim Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6SN

For dental charges, send it to:

Dental Exemption Checking Team
NHSBSA
Bridge House
152 Pilgrim Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6SN

Claiming free NHS prescriptions or NHS dental treatment

You can check if you can claim free NHS prescriptions or free or reduced NHS dental treatment.

Our role

We're responsible for checking claims for free NHS prescriptions and NHS dental treatment, and recovering charges from patients who incorrectly claim they do not have to pay.

NHS Penalty Charge Notices are issued in accordance with the National Health Service (Penalty Charge) Regulations 1999 and the National Health Service (Penalty Charge) Wales Regulations 2001.