Ripped off. Need help

Poppy9

Terry

You have to accept that no Doctor will prescribe treatment without first satisfying themselves as to the problem. If they just treated patients without following proper procedures (which are there to protect not only Doctors but patients as well) they could be sued if they gave the wrong treatment. Hospital A&E are inundated with patients who all know what is wrong with them.

If a doctor thought your friend needed blood she needed blood. This is a precious resource which is under constant pressure. They don't just issue it so that they can bill you for it. The Doctor who is prescribing treatment does not concern himself with who is paying for the treatment so he is not biased in his decisions.

If she was only there 4 nights in hospital and you have been billed for five just make a 20% reduction in your payment. Write and tell them why you have done so and if inform them that you are happy to pay for the correct number of days but not for the fifth day. I doubt they will persue the matter further.

In future tell friends to arrange holiday insurance - the insurance company can then take all the hassle.

I am disappointed that you would rather line the pockets of rich solicitors with your money rather than the cash starved NHS.

trafalgar_2

This is the NHS though not Bupa.    

::)
The principle is the same when paying for anything,they have queries they should be able to get it dealt with,simple as that.

Poppy9

This is the NHS though not Bupa. You know how hard it is to get any tests done with them and for a couple of days of treatment and tests the cost seems reasonable.

I meant the NHS does not order unnecssary test as usually they do not recover any of their costs. Whereas private hospitals charge for everything so they are more likely to order unnecssary tests.

trafalgar_2

You can have private treatment through the nhs and as this is the case unfortunately it is not possible to say that

" the NHS does not order unnecssary test as usually they do not recover any of their costs."

They were aware the patient would be paying (i.e.private)therefore it is possible

Although I agree it is very unlikely it doesn't mean it is not done.

Link to nhs hosp offering private treatment
http://www.kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/privatepatients/index_privatepatients.htm

".All income from private treatment goes back into the NHS........"

All I am saying is it is no differant to any other bill........if it's queried ,they have a right to have the queries investigated just as any other paying person does............irrelevant of it being the NHS.

The CAB will advice and as you say if they adjust the bill all will be well

tshrbhag

I guess the last thing I could try is to knock off the charges for the 5th day. Maybe that would just keep my pocket alright.

Thanks for the suggestion poppy9. Thanks for yours too trafalgar. I'll also see if a solicitor maybe able to help me with this.

I'm just going around in circles and hope to get it resolved soon enough.

Cheers
Terry

tshrbhag

Solicitors are now out. They said it would cost me more to fight the legal battle. So its best to get the charged reduced.

WIll post the progress.

Terry

DarkHorse

Your title of 'Ripped off. Need help', should be the title the NHS should be using for all the free-loaders that come to the UK for free treatment at the UK tax payers expense.

I for one am glad that they are recovering charges from people that are not entitled to free NSH care.

trafalgar_2

Your title of 'Ripped off. Need help', should be the title the NHS should be using for all the free-loaders that come to the UK for free treatment at the UK tax payers expense.

I for one am glad that they are recovering charges from people that are not entitled to free NSH care.

They can't be freeloaders if they are paying.

It might be a good idea if you start a thread in discussions about the nhs and treatment being given to 'visitors' rather than directing remarks to individual posters........................IMO

cathy_3

£200 in india is very very expensive in comparison to wages there and cant be compared to charges here surely.

you are entitled to a breakdown of charges then to query them same as with any bill you receive.

I for one would be  asking friend to claim on travel insurance and sending the bill to my friend in India

I would also tell them that until you got the breakdown and the reason for such tests you wernt going to pay a penny.

;D