HOSPITAL FEES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 21, 25 January 1924, Page 5

HOSPITAL FEES

QUESTION OF COLLECTION

"We are all a little sensitive when l bill is presented to us. I know I am.'" This confession was made by the Rev. Dr. J. Kennedy Elliott at the , Hospital Board yesterday when the question of the collection of patients'- fees ' was under discussion. ' ■ '.- ■ It was reported by the Patients' .Fees . Committee that maintenance , fees'. ac*'counts amounting to £1059 3s 6d due by ' ex-patients who had ignored final 'notices,and accounts amounting to £1773 19s 2d.due by. persons whose addresses could not be traced and whose final .notices had been returned through the L>ead Letter Office, had been referred to an agency for collection and report. Some members took exception to this course- being adopted without all such , i accounts first of all coming before the 'full board for scrutiny, but the chairA^fean of the committee (Mr. W. Appleton) remarked that finality had to be reached* some time, and the members .must delegate some •of their functions to committees. . . • It was stated that the collecting ■"-.igency could not sue until authorised .' .o to. do by the board. , , ; ' Di\ Elliott remarked during the discussion that no one wanted to be hard • on poor people, whose feelings should be respected, but they knew that the . hospital system had been * shamelessly : abused. No partiality should be shown ' to anyone, but if people were goor, then it was the duty of the country to . irovide for them. Some members advocated the einploy- ■~ lent, of a collector'who would keep in : juch with patients. It was explained that it. was the aim '; 'f the 'board fo collect fees from those .vho ought to pay, and that there was *. no intention to "dun" people who were . aot in a position to meet the charges, /Cases which were to be dealt with par- ' '; ticularly were 'those where accounts had ■been returned through, the Dead Letter . ..Office. ■■■ ' .. '..', . The subject was discussed at some' length, and it was ■ agreed to leave the matter of scrutinising accounts in ■ the hands of the committee.