Sadie Hawkes, 33, lost her baby before she had received the maternity exemption certificate that entitled her to free prescriptions throughout her pregnancy.

Due to the trauma of miscarrying, she did not attend her scheduled appointment with her midwife to collect the certificate and three months later, was fined and charged the price of the medication.

After explaining her situation to the NHS, she had to provide proof of pregnancy before the fine was withdrawn – but she is still required to pay the prescription charge.

Now she is promoting a petition to change the rules so that certificates can be backdated to the beginning of a pregnancy.

Ms Hawkes, from Leeds, said: “I had a detailed conversation with the pharmacist who informed me my allergy tablets would be prescribed free of charge. But I miscarried, and never collected the maternity exemption certificate.

“Consequently, I was fined three months later, and while dealing with the pain of a miscarriage, I had to prove I was pregnant in the first place. It was horrible.”

Sadie discovered she was pregnant in September last year but when she went for scans Airedale Hospital in February, she was told there was a possibility of a miscarriage. After 12 hours in A&E, and an overnight stay, she received the devastating news.

Under NHS rules, pregnancy does not qualify women in England for free prescriptions unless their midwife registers them for a maternity exemption certificate which pharmacists are legally required to request.

Three months later Ms Hawkes was ordered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to pay a £46.75 fine plus the £9.35 prescription charge for the tablets. Sadie said: “Getting that letter through the post saying I'd been fined was really upsetting.

“I rung up the NHSBSA on the number on the letter to explain I'd miscarried, and the woman on the phone was like a robot - she was so cold and unemphatic. I had to call the doctors myself and prove that I was pregnant in the first place."

She is now promoting a petition to change the rules so that certificates can be backdated to the beginning of a pregnancy.

Sadie added: “After looking online, I found out what's happened to me happened to 25,000 women last year, and around 200,000 in total.

“I want to change the law surrounding pregnancy exemption certificates.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said there are no plans to change the rules, although it “recognised” the stress of unexpected charges.

Yorkshire woman who miscarried fined by NHS over free prescription