FOI-03797

Thank you for your request for information about the following: ##Request As departments what annual budget was for 2024-25 and how much you recovered for the NHS within same time period through penalty charge notices. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 6 May 2026 We requested clarification on 18 May 2026: 1) Please can you confirm if you would like the budget for 1014/25 for the whole of the NHSBSA or just a certain team within the NHSBSA? 2) Please can you also confirm if you would like this information regarding Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) for Prescription penalties, Dental penalties, or both? You responded on 18 May 2026 I would like the information covering your whole department and your financial accounting year 2024 to 2025 if that is April to end of March or some other months it is whatever your accounting year is. And for prescription penalties only please. We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). ##Our response The Prescription Exemption Checking Service (PECS) 2024/25 Operating Budget was £15,362,401. Prescription Exemption Checking Service (PECS) 2024/25 Operating Budget: £15,362,401 In 2024/25 £22,601,630 was recovered through issuing PECS Penalty Charge Notices. Any monies recovered from penalty charges are returned in full to NHS England. 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. The Prescription Exemption Checking Service is responsible for recovering these funds. When someone claims a free prescription, we check this against our records to see if they have a valid exemption. If we cannot confirm that a patient was exempt from charges, we’ll send them an enquiry letter asking them to send evidence of this or they will have to pay a penalty charge. ##Data Queries Please contact [email protected] 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 [email protected] . 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 2026”. 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.