Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making maternity exemption certificates apply from the start of the pregnancy even if applied for later.

We have made no specific assessment. The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2015 provide that a maternity exemption certificate (Matex) must be backdated one month before the date on which the application is received by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA). NHS BSA then process applications for Matex certificates on behalf of the Secretary of State.

The application process requires that a health care professional such as a midwife or a general practitioner to authorise the application to confirm the patient’s pregnancy and expected due date, with NHS BSA then issuing the Matex on this basis.