Do French hospitals charge for missed appointments ?

[Frederick]

I ask as I know if I have to see the Doctor I have in France  I have to pay him E23... I am wondering if he referred me to Hospital and I did not go if I would get a bill ?

Today I note that in 1213 the cost of failed to turn up 1st appointments in NHS hospitals was  £225 million . As someone who is often told on the door step by patients,I have driven miles to pick up and take in, they are not going . I think the time has come to bill those who fail to advise the NHS hospitals that they are not going...They are too lazy to pick up a phone .  I hear all sorts of excuses  but one of the best was "My sister has come down from London we are going shopping "  I would have sent her a bill for £50 I had driven over 25 miles to get to her . I have lost count of the number of times I have been told by neighbors I have called on when patients fail to come to the door that they are on holiday .

I have had three people fail the go in in one day... The NHS  have to pay me for my wasted journey costs ... I think when the patient does call in and staff fail to pass on cancelled appointments to transport providers they should have £50 taken off salary.....They would soon remember to do it  and it might just bring the £225 million a year down

[NormanH]

I have never missed an appointment since they are for serious conditions so I cannot speak from first hand experience.

I think that some specialists working on their own account might charge, but I haven't heard of a Hospital doing it although again a private clinique might.

I agree that it is irresponsible and thoughtless, but I don't quite see how it costs money except in adminstration costs.

[Pickles]

[quote user="NormanH"]I don't quite see how it costs money except in adminstration costs.

[/quote]

Essentially, by missing an appointment, the patient has removed capacity from the system that could have been used to treat someone else. That capacity (staff time, usage of equipment, etc) costs money.

[Frederick]

Norman wrote :I agree that it is irresponsible and thoughtless, but I don't quite see how it costs money except in adminstration costs.

As far as Transport costs  for wasted journey's are  concerned which is where I get involved . I submit my costs for the journey for which I am paid at the end of the month...  There are thousands like me all over the  UK. Many patents are conveyed by taxi firms to hospital at no cost to the patient  the costs there are huge ....... far bigger than mine  I don,t get paid for my time unlike taxi drivers  .  And that's only money wasted for patient transport

[Gardian]

[quote user="Frederick"]Today I note that in 1213 the cost of failed to turn up 1st appointments in NHS hospitals was  £225 million .[/quote]

And just two years before the Magna Carta !!

 

[quote user="Frederick"]I would have sent her a bill for £50 I had driven over 25 miles to get to her .

[/quote]

But seriously, volunteers like yourself save the NHS £000,s. It must be very galling. A taxi firm over here would have charged the Secu at least twice that. 

[NormanH]

As far as Transport costs  for wasted journey's are  concerned

Ah I see. What you offer is a very fine service for which there is no equivalent here.

Transport here is big business for taxi-ambulances, but of course if the patient doesn't go to the appointment there is no cost for transport since they are paid on receipt of a bon de transport and a bulletin which attests to the fact the patient has been to the appointment.

I take the point about taking capacity out of the system, but again since in many cases the Doctors are working for themselves (not in public Hospitals, but in the private cliniques) it is the indiviual Doctor who is losing out.

[YCCMB]

Makes one wonder how much more money would be "lost" to the economy as a whole if the extra waiting time (patients waiting to see doctors who are waiting for other patients who haven't bothered to turn up) were to be taken into account.

I did once lose my normal cool with a consultant who didn't appreciate me mentioning how long I'd been waiting when he responded by telling me that his time was more valuable than mine.