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Established in 2010, along with its sister publication The Medical Independent, our stated aim is to investigate and analyse the major issues affecting healthcare and the medical profession in Ireland. The Medical Independent has won a number of awards for its investigative journalism, and its stories are frequently picked up by national digital, broadcast and print media. The Medical Independent is published by GreenCross Publishing.
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<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>
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