NHS Business Services Authority Reviews 

222
TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

1.3

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

It’s difficult to understand how anyone can work within a service like this and become so comfortable treating vulnerable people as reference numbers rather than human beings. I disclosed that... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I am a pensions analyst for a major international bank. The level of service is abysmal, I'll health retirement quotation for my partially sighted wife has taken 3 months, unbelievable. Literally sham... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolute bunch of incompetent muppets. Have paid for 8 years DD for prepayment yet these idiotas keep sending penalty notices. Hope you lot are reading this...stop wfh and get these so called cu... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Like the vast majority of people reviewing the BSA, we would also give zero stars as a rating if we could. It is an utterly appalling organisation, a ghastly outsource company the NHS created, t... See more

Company details

  1. Business administration service

Written by the company

The NHS Business Services Authority is an Arm’s Length Body of the Department of Health and Social Care, responsible for providing platforms and delivering services that support the priorities of the NHS, Government and local health economies. Over £100 billion of NHS spend flows through our systems annually. Our purpose is to deliver business service excellence to the NHS to help people live longer, healthier lives. Our vision is to be the provider of national, at scale business services for the health and social care system, transforming and delivering these services to maximise efficiency and meet customer expectations.


Contact info

1.3

Bad

TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

222 reviews

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1.3

All reviews

(222)

39 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Rubbish

Rubbish. Cant even reach them over the phone. Sent my letter to the wrong address and charged me for not responding when I didn't even get the letter. Stupid. Can't get hold of an agent either as they are "Due to high call volume, unable to answer your call". Worst service.

5 May 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Definitely NOT a service.

I worked for the NHS for 43 years. Unfortunately this agency is responsible for making sure I get my pension. I have a question to ask about my recent advice of payment but I'm not able to ask it because they don't seem to be able to answer the phone. They spin a long introductory message then cut you off. I've emailed but Im not holding my breath. No chat service available it's not covered in the FAQs either. Why are services allowed to operate in this way? I think the term service should be removed from their title Sad that after all my years of service the service I get back in return is so poor.

25 April 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Utterly poor

Utterly poor. My usual direct debit for a PPC failed so I was sent a letter and asked to call them to make payment. Have been trying to make payment now for over 3 months. The phonelines are terrible, sometimes you get through and get cut off before going to make payment, but the majority of the time they transfer you through to the payment line, and at this point the call terminates for no reason. The one and only time the payment line worked was a few days ago; I put in my bank details and then it kept on saying that the expiry date on my card was wrong. I entered it again, twice, and it still said it was wrong, and then the call cut off. The expiry date was definitely not wrong as I was sat looking at my card! I have emailed a complaint and am waiting for them to get back to me. All I want to do is pay the money that I owe.

17 April 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

NHSBSA are con merchants that lack any customer service skills

Disgusting setup. Make it impossible to recognise the difference between receiving income based JSA and contributions based JSA, and then fine you for “incorrectly taking dental treatment” because you are on contributions based JSA. Surely if a person is out of work with no form of income then they should be entitled to free dental treatment?! Even when providing clear proof that at no stage I was given clear information as to whether I was entitled or not, they still insisted on charging me a £100 fine plus the cost of the dental treatment! They then had the audacity to charge me a surcharge amount of £50 because I hadn’t paid it within 28 days…even though I was in the process of contesting the payment! I have now taken it via our local councillor and the NHSBSA’s “good will gesture” is to remove the £50 surcharge. Are you kidding me?!
I am more than willing to pay the amount for the treatment, but to be conned out of £100 extra when I was never given any form of information on the difference in the entitlement is disgraceful. Having an ounce of customer service would have seen that the correct way to go would be to pay the dental costs and waive the fee due to information not being clear to the customer. They are just there to make money out of unfortunate customers. Really disgusting behaviour.
I have looked online and seen multiple examples of this happening previously to other people too. This needs to be stopped.
No surprise to see previous Trustpilot reviews stinking the place out too.

17 April 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

useless, money making scheme

didnt receive a notice saying my prescription had run out, picked up my inhalers as normal and then received the letter in the post. i rang up straight away because it was an honest mistake... no answer after numerous tries, i even went down to the pharmacy to pay but i couldnt. i sent an email explaining the situation and got a reply 3 weeks later ON THE DAY MY NOTICE EXPIRED, they now wont reply and have one week left before more goes on top of that. i picked up £10 inhalers for my asthma and now have to pay £117.
worst customer service experience ever, its amazing the only thing you can do is leave this review

17 April 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

They don’t answer the phone

They don’t answer the phone, no option to wait on hold as it just says we are busy and hangs up on you. Tried to call about 11 times in the space of a week with no luck getting through. I emailed them instead and it toke them 2 weeks to reply. All they said in the email is to give them my date of birth and address, so I reply with this information, it then takes another 2 weeks for them to reply. By this time the notice exceeded the date so I was sent a penalty fine. They don’t care for any reasons or explanation and you will be forced to pay or face them adding surcharges to existing penalty. Appalling way to treat people, especially when you are trying to explain and sort it out. They don’t want to know and they don’t care if it was a genuine mistake. It’s all set up this way to get money from people.

30 March 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

NHSBSA- WASTE OF TIME

It's not even worth wasting your time. They will always find a way not to help you. Pay for your treatment and that's it. They totally give a s*** what you have to say. They are only there to take money, not help.

23 March 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Guilty until proven innocent!

Wasted a lot of time and effort just to prove that I’d paid, guilty unless proven innocent.
Mine was a clerical error where the pharmacy had ticked the wrong box on the prescription. I paid as I always do yet I get threatened with a fine!
Lots of stress trying to get this resolved.

10 March 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

NHS BUSINESS AUTHORITY SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN

I received a letter on 04.01.23 dated 07.12.23.
Due to the Royal Mail postal strike, all mail was delayed for around 4-5 weeks.
The letter was informing me between 15th November and 22nd November 2022 I had dental work and that my Exemption certificate had ran out on 31.10.22.
I was not aware it had ran out and if I had known I would had paid for the treatment.
I am currently on statutory sick pay.
This is making my condition worse and affecting my mental health.
I feel no one from the NHS Business Authority is wanting to help or listen to me.
I think it is totally unfair as I did not receive the letter until 4 weeks after it was written.
I have tried calling a number of times to speak to the Customer Service team and it is hopeless, it is not getting resolved.
The line is really difficult to get through and once you do get through they say someone will call from the customer relations team.
Eventually,, a lady called Sharon P called me from the customer relations team.
I explained everything to her and it was like talking to a cardboard cut out..she is soulless showing no empathy and she is still refusing to remove the £100 penalty charge.
I have asked for a Manager call back and they keep telling me Managers don't call back.
I only found out on 11.01.23 that I owe £65.20 as this was not written on the letter.
If this is the case, I will gladly pay the £65.20. but I don't think I should have to pay the £100 penalty charge due to receiving the letter 4 weeks later than when it was first written.
It was circumstances beyond my control.
I am absolutely disgusted by the way I have been treated as I have tried explaining to their customer services and resolutions team.
Nothing has being done.
I am a single parent, currently on a very low income statutory sick pay and unable to afford the £100 penalty charges.
I didn't even know anything about the threshold or how your income affects dental fees.
I tried explaining this to Sharon P and she is not interested.
She has shown no empathy or compassion even though I told her it is affecting my mental health especially for people like me who have genuine reasons for disputing the £100 penalty
I have told them I will be happy to pay the £65.20 if they are saying I owe it.
I have been through Stage 1 and Stage 2 appeal with the backing of my MP which failed and it is now in the hands of the Ombudsman.
Michael Brodie how do you sleep at night when genuine people like me on the breadline and struggling who have a valid reason is not being helped or listened to?
Disgusting vile company who should be closed down.
Shame on you Michael Brodie 😡

10 March 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This incompetent organisation are…

This incompetent organisation are threatening my daughter with large penalty charges because she claimed two prescriptions after her HC2 had expired and she was unaware - a genuine mistake. They have not processed her renewal certificate but are sending plenty of confusing correspondence from at least 5 different people! With threats of further hikes to the penalty, it is impossible to get through by telephone!

1 March 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Accused me of fraud, with no evidence.

They accused me of fraud by collecting a prescription outside of the dates of my PPC certificate. I wrote to them pointing out the date I did actually collect the prescription. They didn't bother to respond or even acknowledge my email.
They sent me a letter fining me, which due to postal strikes arrived just 13 days before the due date. I wrote again provide evidence of my whereabouts for every single day during the period they accuse me of collecting medication.
They still did not respond and instead increased the fine to £150.
I have now involved both my MP and Guardian newspaper of my concerns.
NHSBSA never provide their 'evidence' when accusing people of fraud, and have no system to dispute the penalty charge notice. This is designed to make money for the NHS from people too ill, frail or incapable of disputing these fines. The CEO Michael Brodie is an utter sucmbag who deserves to be jailed.

26 February 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Dawn was brilliant - thank you.

Dawn (Customer Contact Officer) within your Pensions department was absolutely fantastic! She was so informative and professional - give her a pay rise or a promotion! x

23 February 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Set up the fail by the NHSBA

Approaching 60 in May they stopped my direct debit for my PPC. Never notified me, I collected my tabs as usual without knowing they stopped taking the money. Now they have so far sent me 2 PCN’s . They set me up to fail. Apparently they stopped collecting because I am 60 soon and can’t have a full year contract. Silly, really Silly.. why not continue collecting the funds till the last month. Been paying for 15 years with no glitch until you created this issue.
They don’t answer or accept responsibility for this poor system and just keep saying “ you were not entitled to free medicine “ but don’t acknowledge it’s their fault for stop collecting the money, fooling me that all is running as normal. ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET SENSIBLE DIALOGUE WITH THEM OR GOVERNING BODY TO COMPLAIN

18 February 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I’ve tried and tried and tried to talk…

I’ve tried and tried and tried to talk to someone on the phone as I thought this was a scam, every single time I get a robot telling me that the lines are extremely busy and to try again later, in the meantime they have sent me another letter with a £93.50 penalty ! Is this a scam ???

12 February 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DISGRACEFUL

What a disgrace these are I never knew I was excempt from my prescriptions and was paying every month until someone told me I gave all relevant information to them on numerous times over 2 months back an forth to be told yes you don't have to pay for your prescriptions but you can't have a refund as you exceeded the time limit what a load of rubbish it was there timing an communication that exceeded not mine but never mind at least I don't have to pay anymore for them

1 February 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Devastating impact

Got my retirement date wrong -there then ensued 18m of harassment, bullying and denial to try and get them to put it right. They never paid my correct lump sum but after 18m gave me £21 of missing pension + £0.02 interest when it should have been £1500 and they offset their stated overpayment of £400 against the £465 of missing lump sum which should of course have been free of tax, NI and pension contribution. I spelt out all the calculations to them and they just didnt get it. They need to employ people who can do maths

16 January 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

absolute disgrace

absolute disgrace. had to involve the bma following them overpaying me despite being told several times that my pay is wrong. Upon reversal it took them one year to get things right such as my pension contribution and employment tax. I needed the support of the BMA. only recently I had queries regarding wrong calculation of my pay reward and no refund of overpaid taxes since April due to a change in my annual allowance and they simply closed my cases without bothering to provide an answer DESPITE me phoning several times. I've been waiting for one of my queries to be answered for more than 2 months only to discover that the case was recently closed!!! as others state this makes you feel you don't want to contribute to this health service anymore as we all don't deserve such a treatment in addition to everything else that is going on. Why can't we have onsite payroll services as we had them in the past??? They had their heads screwed on, were helpful and accessible

9 December 2022
Unprompted review

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