V1 March 2020

Digital Maternity Exemption Service Coronavirus (COVID-19) toolkit

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Contents

Summary 3

How to sign up 5

Short copy 6

Long copy 7

Suggested social media content 9

Social media images 11

Contact 12

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Summary

Register now to ensure mothers receive their digital Maternity Exemption certificate formally known as the FW8.

www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

Midwives Practice Nurses Health Visitors

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The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is encouraging midwives, practice nurses and health visitors to sign up to the digital Maternity Exemption certificate service to help reduce the waiting time for paper applications to be processed in light of the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Pregnant mothers and women who have given birth in the last 12 months are entitled to free NHS prescriptions and NHS dental treatment.

Previously, mothers would have to request a Maternity Exemption application form (FW8) from their midwife or health visitor who would sign it. The mother would then receive their certificate in the post.

There is now a quicker and easier way for mothers to receive their certificate digitally and start using their certificate straight away.

Mother doesn’t provide an email address

Mother provides email address

Midwife, Health Visitor or Practice Nurse enters details online

Mother receives certificate straight to their email inbox

Mother receives certificate in the post

Midwife, Health Visitor or Practice Nurse enters other details online

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Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) can register online to issue Maternity Exemption certificates on behalf of new or expectant mothers. To register you’ll need your:

How to sign up

Last name

Date of birth

NMC PIN

NHSmail address and password

Help us increase digital Maternity Exemption certificates today by registering to issue certificates

of Maternity Exemption certificates are received digitally

of Maternity Exemption certificates are sent via the post

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Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors - Register now to ensure mothers receive their digital Maternity Exemption certificate

Pregnant mothers and women who have given birth in the last 12 months are entitled to free NHS dental treatment and NHS prescriptions with a valid Maternity Exemption certificate.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is encouraging midwives, practice nurses and health visitors to sign up to the digital service to help reduce the waiting time for paper applications to be processed in light of the current COVID-19 outbreak.

The NHSBSA’s digital Maternity Exemption service ensures that there is no disruption to women receiving their certificate and mothers will get it straight away if they’ve provided an email address.

To register visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) can register online to issue Maternity Exemption certificates on behalf of new or expectant mothers. To register you’ll need your:

- Last name- Date of birth- NMC PIN- NHSmail address and password

Short copy:

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Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors can sign up to issue digital Maternity Exemption certificates to ensure mothers instantly receive their certificate

The NHSBSA is encouraging midwives to sign up to the digital service to help reduce the waiting time for paper applications to be processed in light of the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Pregnant mothers and women who have given birth in the last 12 months are entitled to free NHS dental treatment and NHS prescriptions with a valid Maternity Exemption certificate.

The NHSBSA’s digital Maternity Exemption service ensures that women receive their certificate instantly. Registration takes less than five minutes and mothers will get their exemption certificate straightaway if they’ve provided an email address.

To register visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

55,000 Maternity Exemption applications have already been made through our digital service. Out of an average of 460,000 annual Maternity Exemption certificate applications, around 28% are received via the digital route.

The remaining 72% are paper application forms which mothers fill in and pass on to their GP or midwife to countersign and post. Mothers could wait weeks before receiving their certificate in the post as the forms are often sent in weekly batches.

How to sign up to the digital Maternity Exemption service:

Midwives, practice nurses or health visitors registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) can now register online to issue Maternity Exemption certificates on behalf of new or expectant mothers by visiting www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

Long copy:

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To verify your professional identity, you’ll need your:

• Last name• Date of birth• NMC PIN• NHSmail address and password

For more information about Maternity Exemption certificates visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

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The NHS Business Services Authority (@NHSBSA) account will be publishing content regularly, so please follow and share this content with your audiences.

Below is some suggested copy to accompany your social media posts. You can use the images attached to our email to encourage more midwives, practice nurses and health visitors to register to issue digital Maternity Exemption certificates.

• I’ve registered to issue digital Maternity Exemption certificates so my patients can get their certificate instantly. You can register too at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors can sign up to issue digital Maternity Exemption certificates to ensure mothers instantly receive their certificate. To register visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, you may experience disruptions to paper applications for Maternity Exemption. Midwives, practice nurses & health visitors can register to issue digital Maternity Exemption certificates instantly: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• #Midwives don’t forget you can still sign up to the digital service to help reduce paper FW8 form processing times in light of the #COVID19 outbreak. Register online today so mothers can receive their certificate digitally and be instantly exempt:www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• The FW8 form can take a few weeks to be processed, issued and delivered to expectant and new mothers. If you’re a #Midwife, help make things quicker by using our Digital Matex scheme to issue their Maternity Exemption certificates instantly: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• Calling all #Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors - to reduce processing times for paper Maternity Exemption certificates, register online today for our digital #Matex service. Mothers can then instantly receive their certificate by email: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• The digital Maternity Exemption service ensures that women receive their certificate instantly. Registration takes less than five minutes. Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors can register to use the service here: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• 55,000 Maternity Exemption applications have already been made through our digital service. Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors can register to use the digital service at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

Suggested social media content

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• There may be a delay in mothers receiving their certificate in the post amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors can issue Maternity Exemption certificates instantly by registering to use our digital service at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• We are encouraging as many midwives as possible to register to use the digital service so their patients can start to use their Maternity Exemption certificate straight away. Register online today so you can issue Maternity Exemption certificates instantly: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• Midwives, practice nurses and health visitors can register online to issue digital Maternity Exemption certificates so new or expectant mothers can continue to receive free NHS prescriptions and NHS dental treatment. Register at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

• Midwives, practice nurses or health visitors registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) can now register online to issue Maternity Exemption certificates on behalf of new or expectant mothers by visiting: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/digitalmatex

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Social media images

If you have any queries, comments or receive any media enquiries, please contact the NHSBSA communications team:

nhsbsa.communicationsteam@nhs.net

Contact