HOSPITAL PATIENTS’ FEES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LIII, Issue 8685, 12 September 1924, Page 7

HOSPITAL PATIENTS’ FEES

THnl -'ANDS ()F rOTXDS iN\OIAKl>.

Soil!.' ].. VlnM 1 1 1 l I | v;;{ !• '!■> e>l! dl|o hv Ih.s ] 111 a! nat flits ar*‘ n.i.ee. -- |)r \dil n. 111 a-, Hire. ter-Geiwra! ■’ l ||. alth. in it i> annua! i r ptv'-cntml , t.. Hai 1i a 111 <■i st . lie g hies mil halt, e iih the ■•nlmmmm r.t of le'-pital ve o. ! n<■ I-.•.15,' Ml medio;.! K m>u bd-''. .ood ceils. .(Meet ohe.iiratien m "in in st;! ut iei,-. u 11 !i 1 1 u nai u "id t. lah m > Ml 1:iot die desil ahthl V .a i''' r ' on '' okiim t realm, m ilt-amn rather than in privute he.spuals. wiiieh oainitu h°P' ... ....inj.ete mill general institutions in . !Ji.; j.-ney and e< |U \\ mie re . e i~ ad tie'n.ere necessary that me matie-r of tin ..die den ..f jiaiients - naym.nl' should !,c . ..reinliv Will, he.! ami r-laeed on a sound and .satisfactory himi-s. A h l '-"- j.ital : > a i'd oi any size, dealing with a •ii nt nuniher o| patimu.' ae. mints, uonld he well advised le set an. as tile AVell i imt el, hoard Ini' already a sonarte lees conimitete to deal with all matters coneernme patients acemmts. as the s ( 'i„ln,c out el printed or the engagement. '>> a ‘‘d" lector mi a commission basis, are °f little good hy themselves. The amount winch a |ia tmnt can pay. eitliei at a cei-tain date or hy regular instalments, having heen a-o-erlahied deliiiitely ~n or before his dme'iiari'o. then such patient's account should lie epiiid't 11 P tl | l review upon dates on which payment is due as promised, and, in eases uheie a collector is cinploved. anv failure to receive the amount undertaken to he paid should he reported immediately hy him to tin* hoard's secretary a;cmutant, and the matter immodiately hrought no for review hy the lees committee, There Is a clear distinction between sentiment and businesslike methods in such matters. Though patients such as small farmers mav not he m the same position as wage-earnovs «'s regard' paying their accounts hy iopnlar instalments, hpt may he able to pay their accounts in full if given time to do so. there is yet a limit to the time for which accounts should ho allowed to run. and, generally speaking, something should he expected to ho paid within twelve months. In lact, a pat -lent who on discharge can show satisfactory reasons why ho cannot pay his account within twelve months, presents a verv good ease for a consider - ahle reduction being made in his nc(onnt. and, generally speaking, there is no warrant for sums amounting to manv thousands of pounds being allowed to accumulate and ho entered on the hoard’s hooks from one year to •another.