Mother and Baby Unit Family Fund: terms and conditions

8. Making a claim

Claims must be made to the NHS Board where the woman is being cared for, that will either be NHS Lothian (St John's MBU) or NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (West of Scotland MBU, Leverndale). Contact details on where to submit the form are included in Annex 2

For example: For women admitted to the MBU in Glasgow, claims forms should be signed by the health professional in the MBU in Glasgow and then the form returned to the cash team within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

8.1 Claim Forms

MBUFF(1) Claim forms are available from MBUs. The form should be completed by (or on behalf of) the Partner of the eligible woman and signed and certified as detailed on the form. This includes certification of qualification from an appropriate health professional. This includes from a psychiatrist or the nurse in charge. The forms should then be handed into the relevant cash office for reimbursement outlined in Annex 2.

8.2 Proof of Entitlement

In all cases where expenses are claimed, the partner will be asked to provide proof of entitlement before their expenses are reimbursed. All MBUFF(1) Forms must include details of woman's admittance date/s, MBU, and signed confirmation by a health professional (as detailed above) that the woman is/was resident in the MBU during the duration of the claim. Forms that are not signed by the relevant healthcare professional and/or do not contain complete information may result in delays to claims or claims being rejected.

8.3 Suspected Fraudulent Claims

In cases where it appears that a claimant has deliberately applied for assistance with costs to which they are not entitled the matter will be referred to Counter Fraud Services. Cashiers may refuse to pay expenses in cash if they suspect a claim is fraudulent until further checks have been completed. This will result in delays in claimant receiving their expenses.

8.4 Retrospective Claims

Claims must be submitted within three months of the woman's discharge from an MBU. Claims outside this time will not be considered for reimbursement except in exceptional circumstances. Forms should be signed by MBU staff prior to discharge.

Exceptional circumstances should be submitted in writing to the claim team for consideration.

Claims can initially be submitted for costs incurred between April and October 2020 – up until December 2020.