A diabetic mother-of-two is warning others who are entitled to free prescriptions to make sure they have a medical exemption certificate.

Mandy Gibb, 44, of Centenary Gardens in Eastry, was “outraged” to be issued a penalty notice charge last week of £48.25 after having claimed her usual medication in November.

She was told by a pharmacist that the fine was given because she did not have the correct paperwork which exempts the charge.

Mrs Gibb, a supply teacher at Sandwich Technology School, said: “I am outraged and there is no doubt I am entitled to the certificate. Nobody has ever mentioned it. I didn’t know I needed to have one.

“I am disputing it because, even though I didn’t have one, my medical condition entitles me to free prescriptions and I am being called a fraud for claiming it.”

'My medical condition entitles me to free prescriptions and I am being called a fraud for claiming it.' - Mrs Gibb

Mrs Gibb has been diabetic since she was nine and has never paid for the prescriptions.

The medical exemption certificate rule came into force in 2002 and requires patients to have the record, which must be updated every five years.

Mrs Gibb said: “I was never told by my GP in 2002 and that is why I have not applied for one.

“And I don’t remember seeing any campaign.”

She claimed the pharmacist told her that this problem was “catching people out”, which is why Mrs Gibb contacted the Mercury.

The topic was also reported by BBC News on Friday.

It reiterated the same message that patients were facing fines on free prescriptions and quoted radio presenter Sybil Ruscoe, who told BBC Radio Oxford: “I have been fined for having free insulin. Hundreds of us have had fines in the post. Basically we’re being criminalised for having a chronic illness.”

Mrs Gibb told the Mercury: “I have diabetes and it is not going to go away.

“There are a lot of other illnesses that it causes, so I have prescriptions not just for my diabetes.”

Diabetes UK chief executive Barbara Young released this statement on the Diabetes UK website:

“We are deeply concerned that the NHS seems to be fining increasing numbers of people with diabetes for not having a valid medical exemption certificate who have not been informed about the need to have one and to keep it updated.

“This is a policy designed to tackle fraud, but because of the poor way it has been implemented, it has resulted in the unfair fining of people with a lifelong health condition. It is unacceptable and needs to change."