Medical Bills

dimples06

During the summer i had an operation in Northern Ireland- I am from the Republic but was referred up there after being brought to a&e in my closest hospital which is also in the North. I had tests for over a year and finally had an operation.
I never had to pay anything or sign anything for being in the first hospital for 3 nights or for the 5 or more tests I got done before the operation. The only thing I had to sign or pay before the operation was a form for 100 and something to pay for a bed during my post-op stay in hospital.
I was told once on the phone briefly the night before the operation that I would have to pay quite a bit for the operation but never expected it to be so much. The operation came up sooner than i expected and was a rush getting up to the hospital finishing college exams all the same day!! so i never thought to ask before the operation.

A month after my operation I got a bill for nearly 9000sterling for my operation I couldnt believe it!! I wrote a letter stating I was a student, had been off work a month due to my operation and could in no way possibly pay that sort of money and could some sort of installment system be put in place? They never replied to my letter and now I keep receiving letters saying legal action might be taken and i have 7 days to pay!!

has anybody got any advice on what i can do??????
:(:(:(

Reloc8

Write and ask them to send you all of the relevant documentation and hold off from legal action until you have a chance to look at it.

When you get it, go to a solicitor for advice.

If they sue you prior to this, take everything to a solicitor for advice.

dermot_sheehan

If you were referred, get a form e112 from your local HSE office and send it to the northern health service.

dimples06

Your applications must, in most cases, be assessed before you go abroad and the hospital consultant must certify that:

* The treatment concerned is not available in Ireland
* There is an urgent medical need for the treatment
* There is a reasonable chance of success
* It is a proven type of treatment, not experimental and will be performed by registered doctors/recognised hospitals.



It was the first hospital that arranged for me to go to where I got my operation. My GP in the south was happy with this but then set up an appointment for me to be seen privatelly in Sligo but I had already got most of my tests done in the North so there was no point starting all over again.

Should they not have replied to my request about sorting out some sort of payment method instead of just sending a solicitors letter!?

TouchingVirus

dimples06 wrote: »

Your applications must, in most cases, be assessed before you go abroad and the hospital consultant must certify that:

* The treatment concerned is not available in Ireland
* There is an urgent medical need for the treatment
* There is a reasonable chance of success
* It is a proven type of treatment, not experimental and will be performed by registered doctors/recognised hospitals.



It was the first hospital that arranged for me to go to where I got my operation. My GP in the south was happy with this but then set up an appointment for me to be seen privatelly in Sligo but I had already got most of my tests done in the North so there was no point starting all over again.

Should they not have replied to my request about sorting out some sort of payment method instead of just sending a solicitors letter!?

It appears to me that the HSE are within their rights to refuse to pay for that operation because you didn't meet the terms of the E112 scheme you posted above. Basically, you went private.

And yes, it would have been good to enter into negotiations about a payment plan or to politely refuse your request - have you a copy of the letter? Have you proof you posted it and that it was received? Could you send a copy of the letter to the solicitors acting on behalf of the NHS?

dimples06

i amnt denying the fact i will have to pay the money there is just no chance i could come up with £9000 in 7 days!! ya i tink i have a copy of the letter i sent. I will ring them at the weekend when i get home and ask them.

Reloc8

If you make contact as advised - in writing so you can say you did - you are unlikely to get sued just yet.