LAST week's Chingford Guardian featured an article about a woman complaining she had been misled about package price surgery at Holly House Hospital.
The procedure in question is not available as a package (an all-inclusive price including consultant's fees) and was not quoted as such. However, the patient was surprised to receive a separate consultant's invoice, even though she was forewarned of this in the hospital letter confirming her booking.
Our bookings department can always advise patients what the hospital's fees are for daycase, walk-in walk-out and in-patient (overnight) treatment. They can also advise if the treatment is for a fixed price (where the hospital fees are set in advance but do not cover consultant's fees) or for a package price (where the hospital and consultant's fees are combined and the hospital reimburses the consultant).
It is not possible to agree package prices for the thousands of clinical scenarios that can take place in a hospital with the scores of consultants who regularly work here.
We advise self-pay patients to check with their consultant in advance what their fees will be. For minor procedures, it is not unheard of for the consultant's fees to be a greater part of the overall cost.
The hospital cannot provide this information because consultants are not employed by the hospital. They practise privately as self-employed individuals and the fees they charge are at their discretion and are invoiced by them, separate to the hospital invoice(s).
JACKIE ROW,
Hospital director, Holly House
July 11, 2002 10:00
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article