NHS fines for 1.7 million people overturned, watchdog finds

“I was panicking, I didn’t know what to do,” said Trisha Costello, who faced a £160 fine after her daughter had gone for a check-up at the dentist.

This was one of 1.7 million fines over dental treatment or prescription charges in England since 2014 that were overturned when challenged, a National Audit Office investigation says.

These were people wrongly accused of fraudulently claiming free treatment.

An NHS spokeswoman accepted there could be “confusion” over eligibility rules.

The British Dental Association said there was “no excuse” for so many “innocent people” to face such threats.

‘Unnecessary distress’

The National Audit Office has examined concerns about people being wrongly fined over claiming free treatment, particularly involving visits to the dentist, when they really were eligible.

The public spending watchdog, examining penalty notices since 2014, found 30% of the fines levied were subsequently withdrawn, representing £188m in fines that had been wrongly issued.

Dentists have warned it is often vulnerable people, such as those with learning difficulties and disabilities, those on low incomes or carers bringing relatives with dementia, who get caught in the fining system.

“This is not a system that is working as it should,” said Meg Hillier, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee.

“The NHS must take urgent steps if it is to avoid causing unnecessary distress to patients, tripped up by an overly complex system, who end up facing large penalty charges.”

Charlotte Waite, of the British Dental Association, said: “England has a system built on a presumption of guilt, which offers few signposts, and has left vulnerable patients chased by debt collection agencies.”

The BDA has warned that many people facing the threat of fines will pay up rather than contest them, even though they are eligible for free care.

It said many of the wrong fines were the result of simple errors or confusions when filling in forms.

The dentists’ organisation said fear of fines had stopped poor people going to the dentist – with visits from low-income patients falling by almost a quarter.