HOSPITAL FEES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1930, Page 15

HOSPITAL FEES

AMOUNTS WRITTEN OFF

COMU ITTEE'S BEPOKT

The chairman of the Foes Committee ot" the Wellington Hospital (Mr. A. J. JM'Curdy) has furnished the board with au -interesting statement of the work of the committee for the past year; also particulars as to amounts written off during the past five years.

"During the past year," states' tlio report, "the maintenance fee collections pnr occupied bod have exceeded those rcorded for previous years, and it is confidently expected that an even better result will be attained in the current financial year, apart from the increased charges in certain departments. Of the £95,444 outstanding maintenance fees, £30,543 are in the hands of the Commercial Agency for action, leaving £64,901 'live' accounts at that date. The amount of 'maintenance fees' written-off in the financial year just ended, was £00,974 5s 2d, and includes many accounts of previous years, dating back as far as 1924. These 'old' accounts should have been brought under notice earlier to permit of examination of 'in-patients ticket' to ascertain whether the debtor was in a position to pay all or part of the Claim; or, if hopeless, to be written off as soon as possible after the discharge of the patient from hospital.

"INTENTION OR APPALLING , IGNOEANCE."

"Though i~ 30,543 lias been transferred to tILO Commercial Agency, about, oiic-thij-cl of the total outstanding at 31st March, 1930, quite" a number of theso accounts' will bo returned as 'hopeless,' because : when tho information is supplied (which our secretary and staff have vainly tried to elicit) it will be found that the accounts would have been written off by order of the committee had the information been entered on the 'ovt-paitnts ticket.' "Whether it .is deliberate intent or merely appalling ignorance that causes people to.. treat the board's inquiries , with silent contempt I cannot say, but ' the withholding of the required information results in sending accounts to the agency, and in many instances legal proceedings follow because tho committee has not sufficient information to warrant writing off of the liability. A total of 1503 visits has been made by the investigation officer since his ap- , pointment in October last, an average of over 300 per calendar month, lie is fully employed in making necessary inquiries under the direction1 of the secretary, and in special eases at my request, through the secretary. Tho centralisation of 'dental fee' control since the transfer of the dental clinic to its new quarters has resulted in an increased proportion of collected fees and a similar result is expected when the X-ray, radium, and physio-therapeutic clinics reach their permanent locations. A SUMMARY. "The accumulation of debt in chronic and long treatment cases is now under review, and inquiries by our investigation officer will give information aa to whether all or part can be collected or, in the alternative, the liability written off at quarterly intervals. "To indicate what has been done since the Fees Committee was set up in October, 1923, I have to submit for your information the following statistics: —For the year prior to the establishment of tho committee the amount written off was only £12,378. From Ist April, 1023, to the end of October in that year nothing was written off. As a result of tho accumulation of 'outstandings' the Fees Committee was set up and held its first meeting in November, 1923. During the five months ended 31st March, 1924, £42,805 maintenance fees were written off, and the totals for each successive financial year thereafter were: 1924-25, £50,887; 1925----26, £43,116; 1926-27, £39,952; 1927----28, £52,804; 1928-29, £41,577; and last year (1929-30) £60,974. "During the six years and five months of its existence the committee has recommended the writing off of £332,175. To this sum must be added dental, physio-therapeutic, ' X-ray, . massage, deep-therapy, ■Macarthy Home, and sundry other fees not included :as ma'mtenance fees. I have to thank members of tho committee .for the keen interest they have taken in the work and for their attendance at meetings. The present committee is worthily keeping., up the high standard of efficiency and atteifdances which characterises the work of this committee since its establishment in November, 1923."