Hospital bill for service never used

newbie90

Dear MSE members,

This is my first post, and it would be fantastic if you shed some light on our problem.

My wife needed an urgent blood test to prescribe the correct hormone treatment. It was initially hard to get it from NHS, so she went into a private hospital - Spire Hospital.

She requested a quote for the L-trx hormone test, and got quoted 75 pounds.

She then got a letter from doctor to appoint her for such a test in this private hospital.

Spire Hospital did the test, but then charged her for 100+ pounds for an extra test which she never needed - it appears that NHS doctor made a mistake and did not 'untick' a box for some generic test, which was on the form by default.

My wife then went to her GP to argue the extra costs. He phoned the private hospital and tried to explain the situation - they refused to clear the extras. So the GP sent my wife for a free NHS funded test, since it was urgent.

We have never received the test results from the blood probe taken at the Spire Hospital.

And now they are trying to charge us 100+ pounds for a service which we never received.

We have tried to argue this by politely presenting all the facts to Spire Hospital, but they just keep bullying us with threats to send collectors and ruin our credit rating.

How do we argue this, and put an end to bullying from Spire Hospital?

Thank you!

Flyboy152

Why was it not possible to get it on the NHS? How was it that the GP was able to get one done on the NHS after this happened?

bod1467

GP funded tests? And GP didn't want to fund it originally, but subsequently felt obliged to cooperate after his error caused financial harm?

newbie90

GP just wasn't sure that she needed the test. After explaining that it was necessary to change the dosage of hormone medicine she was taking, he suggested to help out, and sent her to get the test done.

Any advice on how to lawfully argue the charges we have received?

Don't forget that Spire Hospital failed to provide an urgent service, which endangered my wife's health - if you don't control TSH medication, it can lead to a stroke. And now they are charging us for it.

Any constructive comments would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Flyboy152

newbie90 wrote: »

GP just wasn't sure that she needed the test. After explaining that it was necessary to change the dosage of hormone medicine she was taking, he suggested to help out, and sent her to get the test done.

Any advice on how to lawfully argue the charges we have received?

Don't forget that Spire Hospital failed to provide an urgent service, which endangered my wife's health - if you don't control TSH medication, it can lead to a stroke. And now they are charging us for it.

Any constructive comments would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Can you give any background (in laymen's terms) to the tests?

heretolearn_2

But they have provided the service. You ordered the blood tests (the fact that one was an error by your GP is not their fault) and they did the blood tests. They are just not going to give you the result until you pay for the work. Pretty standard for professional services. If you get a solicitor to prepare a will, they won't hand it over until you pay, etc etc. They did the work, you want it, pay them. You are holding them responsible for an error that was none of their making. You have cost them money for the hospital facilities, the salaries of all the staff who worked with you, and whatever was needed for the tests, plus of course they don't operate on a 'costs only' basis, they are a business that naturally expects to make a profit. So far, they have made a loss on you. Of course they won't hand over the work you haven't paid for.

mountainofdebt

But can you not see that Spire did the tests that they were asked to do - its hardly their fault if your gp can't fill in a form correctly is it?

Presumably Spire won't release the results until you have paid the bill - so its not them that's put your wife's health at risk ...its you by refusing to pay

Personally I would be mad at my gp for costing me the extra money (and yes I do think they would be within their rights to take you to court for the money) and then suddenly deciding that the test could be done on the NHS anyway ......but there again what sort of gp takes a patient's word that a test is needed - surely they should have known this ....or is that me being naive?

Forwandert

When you say they failed to provide an urgent life threatening test results. Have they not produced the results because the bill hasn't been paid? When was the payment for the tests due? If you had paid the bill would you have received the results you needed? Did they actually perform the tests on your wife? (not results) if they did why would they not expect to be paid as the error wasn't really the hospitals fault. Private hospitals are businesses first and foremost.

newbie90

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Can you give any background (in laymen's terms) to the tests?

My wife has a Thyroid condition. It means that you have to change to dosage of hormones prescribed to her on a quarterly basis, by doing tests. That is to keep the condition under control.


And, by the way, thanks for providing a subjective advice. I know the result was late, but I guess we have to pay.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious.

Best regards

Flyboy152

newbie90 wrote: »

My wife has a Thyroid condition. It means that you have to change to dosage of hormones prescribed to her on a quarterly basis, by doing tests. That is to keep the condition under control.

If that is the case, why were the tests not carried out under the NHS?

And, by the way, thanks for providing a subjective advice. I know the result was late, but I guess we have to pay.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious.

Best regards

I haven't given you any advice, subjective or otherwise.

newbie90

Flyboy152 wrote: »

I haven't given you any advice, subjective or otherwise.

Pardon, I wasn't referring to you.

Other MSE members have made me re-consider the situation. The hospital (pretty much as ourselves) fell a victim of a typo made by GP.
GP helped us out, and the hospital did their job, so we should pay.

Thank you for your comments.