HOSPITAL PATIENTS’ FEES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19435, 22 October 1925, Page 6

HOSPITAL PATIENTS’ FEES

OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTS TO BE COLLECTED "WON’T PAY’’ MUST PAY At yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui Hospital Board, the Fees Committee reported having inquired into the question of ex-patients ’ fees, and pointed out that in some cases it was obvious that the individuals had totally ignored all requests for payment. The committee therefore recommended that the board’s solicitor be instructed immediately to institute proceedings in these cases. The chairman said the committee had gone through a large number of the accounts, and would go through more of them at a further session.

Mr Coleman: Are you going to sue those whom we have marked as being able to pay! The chairman replied in the affirmative.

Mr Coleman said there were many people who were well able to pay, and were escaping payment.

Mr Burnett said that the whole thing was now being worked on a system, and the thing had been “boiled down” until the committee had got to the people who had absolutely ignored their notices. The thing was right on a business basis at present. The chairman said they must trust the committee to get down to a working basis. Mr Ritchie referred to a man who had declared that he would be if he would pay a penny piece to the hospital, although he was receiving 25s a day. The chairman said that the committee would like to have his name, and they would see what could be done with him. The committee’s recommendation was adopted.