Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of communications by the NHS on access to maternity exemption certificates for pregnant women.

Both the NHS Business Services Authority and the National Health Service promote maternity exemption certificates to professionals and patients to ensure both groups are aware of the entitlement to exemption from health costs and the need for a maternity exemption certificate to do so. We are working with NHSBSA on communications to ensure that midwives, general practitioners, and other healthcare practitioners are aware of their obligations to apply for maternity exemption certificates on behalf of the patient and ensure that individuals are aware of the entitlement, and that information is provided to expectant mothers. The certificates are also promoted through social media, online resources, media releases and through healthcare bulletins.

Information on how to apply for a maternity exemption certificate is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/who-can-get-free-prescriptions/