Information for healthcare professionals
We're piloting the digital maternity exemption (matex) service where healthcare professionals complete a secure online application on behalf of their patients.
Mothers using the new service get their digital exemption certificate straight away if they provide an email address.
Reasons to use the digital service
Research shows us that currently many women wait for their certificate before getting the medication they need. It can take over 2 weeks to receive it by post.
With the new digital service mothers are exempt immediately after their application has been submitted, so they do not need to:
- wait to collect prescriptions or get dental treatment
- pay and claim a refund later while waiting for their certificate
In 2018 we sent out almost half a million paper matex application (FW8) forms.
Midwives can now submit their applications much easier, faster, more accurately and for free, helping us to significantly reduce NHS costs.
Register to use the service
If you already have an NHSmail nhs.net email address, you'll be able to use this to register for the service and log in.
To get registered, just email nhsbsa.healthcosts@nhs.net and include your:
- name
- NMC or GMC number
- nhs.net email address
If you're registering more than one user, make sure that you give us these details for each person that needs access to the service. The easiest way to do this is by completing and returning our template by email:
Template for registering multiple midwives (Excel: 12KB)
Digital application process
If the patient provides an email address
If the patient doesn’t provide an email address
