NOTE: By submitting this form and registering with us, you are providing us with permission to store your personal data and the record of your registration. In addition, registration with the Medical Independent includes granting consent for the delivery of that additional professional content and targeted ads, and the cookies required to deliver same. View our Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice for further details.



Don't have an account? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Patients charged for services after St James’s demolishes outpatient clinic

By Mindo - 01st Mar 2018

<p class=”p1″>Speaking to the <strong><em>Medical Independent</em></strong><span class=”s1″>(<strong><em>MI</em></strong>), a patient said that after attending an out</span>patient rheumatology clinic in St James’s for <span class=”s1″>biologic infusion treatments for over six years, the hospital starting charging her last year as a day case patient. She claimed this followed the </span>demolition of a rheumatology outpatient clinic building, to make room for the new Nation<span class=”s1″>al Children’s Hospital, and the move of the service to another part of the hospital.</span>

<p class=”p1″>Dozens of other rheumatology patients are now being charged as day case patients by the hospital for biologic infusions, she claimed, despite being long-time outpatients and their treatment remaining the same. They also report being asked for private health insurance <span class=”s1″>details, despite being treated as public patients, </span>and for payment even though they have long <span class=”s1″>held medical cards.</span>

<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>In response to queries from <strong><em>MI </em></strong>about the issue, a spokesperson for the hospital eventually replied: “St James’s Hospital consolidated these services into a new Ambulatory Care Unit with designated day beds. The charges refer to a correction in the classification of the procedures. This correction is </span>unrelated to the building of the Children’s <span class=”s1″>Hospital. “</span>

<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>The hospital refused to answer how many patients were impacted by the changes and </span>what income it was making from them, merely replying: “St James’s Hospital applied the standard government charge for these services and Rheumatology was pri<span class=”s1″>marily affected.”</span>

<p class=”p1″>This charge is currently €80 per day up to <span class=”s1″>a maximum of €800 in any 12-month period.</span>

Leave a Reply

ADVERTISEMENT

Latest

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Issue
The Medical Independent 3rd December 2024

You need to be logged in to access this content. Please login or sign up using the links below.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trending Articles

ADVERTISEMENT