Surprise charge from hospital after trip to A&E

Azari

milliemonster wrote: »

It's widely known what the prescription charge is for medication from the NHS, you should know this with or without concussion

Are you a qualified doctor?

If not, perhaps you should stop making stupid, uninformed, comments about what people should and shouldn't be aware of when they have concussion.

LisaB85

milliemonster wrote: »

you're lucky, a few years ago I was involved in an RTA and an ambulance was called to take me to A&E, a few weeks later I was billed for the ambulance £40 or thereabouts, well I hadn't even called the ambulance at the the time and was a bit shocked but understand this is common practice, does that mean I shouldn't have contributed?

It's widely known what the prescription charge is for medication from the NHS, you should know this with or without concussion, hospitals used to not charge for medication but then a lot of patients cottoned on to the fact if they visited their GP they would have to pay the prescription fee but if they went to A&E they got the item for free so would start to misuse A&E for free medication (I'm not suggesting this is what you have done) so now you have to pay for an NHS prescription whoever you get it from unless you are exempt.

By the way, what does of cocodamol was it? only the 8/500 is available over the counter, it might be that you have the 30/500 which is prescription only

I don't use prescriptions very often so it wasn't something I considered at the time and to be honest it was the last thing on my mind I was so spaced out nothing much crossed my mind all I was worried about was the fact I smelled of horses, last time I visited A&E I wasn't charged (about 3 years ago) he flounced off before I had a chance to ask if I'd be charged.

Was 30/500 but was way too strong for me anyway.

milliemonster

Azari wrote: »

Are you a qualified doctor?

If not, perhaps you should stop making stupid, uninformed, comments about what people should and shouldn't be aware of when they have concussion.

I'm a qualified nurse, the OP obviously wasn't concussed otherwise she would have been admitted.

There is no need to be so rude

milliemonster

LisaB85 wrote: »

I don't use prescriptions very often so it wasn't something I considered at the time and to be honest it was the last thing on my mind, last time I visited A&E I wasn't charged (about 3 years ago) he flounced off before I had a chance to ask if I'd be charged.

Was 30/500 but was way too strong for me anyway.

Yes that dose is very strong, but as you are in receipt of benefits you will be exempt.

Azari

milliemonster wrote: »

I'm a qualified nurse, the OP obviously wasn't concussed otherwise she would have been admitted.

I was referring to this rather daft comment:

milliemonster wrote: »

you should know this with or without concussion

You said "with or without concussion" which was the comment that I characterised as stupid and uninformed.

I doubt that any properly qualified doctor would make a blanket statement that anyone with concussion should be aware of the nuances of the NHS charging systems.

Oldernotwiser

Azari wrote: »

Are you a qualified doctor?

If not, perhaps you should stop making stupid, uninformed, comments about what people should and shouldn't be aware of when they have concussion.

You don't need to be a doctor to know about prescription charges - they're common knowledge!

LisaB85

milliemonster wrote: »

I'm a qualified nurse, the OP obviously wasn't concussed otherwise she would have been admitted.

I was concussed my GP sent me to hospital as I saw him first, then I saw him 4 days later and he was surprised they didn't keep me in.

The doctor in A&E didn't pay any attention to my head injury he barely examined me but that is another issue.

How dare you try to comment on my diagnosis without knowing me, knowing my circumstances or examining me.

LisaB85

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

You don't need to be a doctor to know about prescription charges - they're common knowledge!

No but people who haven't visited A&E recently or use prescriptions will be unaware of the changes to prescriptions when visiting A&E so it is not common knowledge to everyone.

Azari

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

You don't need to be a doctor to know about prescription charges - they're common knowledge!

Is it 'stupid today' on here, today?

Just because they are 'common' knowledge does not mean that everyone knows all the details about them.

'Common' is not the same as 'universal'.

LisaB85 wrote: »

No but people who haven't visited A&E recently or use prescriptions will be unaware of the changes to prescriptions when visiting A&E so it is not common knowledge to everyone.

Quite.

Why the hell would anyone expect, say, a young adult who may never have set foot inside a hospital to understand the intricacies of the NHS prescription system?

milliemonster

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

You don't need to be a doctor to know about prescription charges - they're common knowledge!

Exactly!, anyone who reside in the UK knows there is a prescription charge for medication!