asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the methods used by hospitals to collect debts due from patients are in all cases both equitable and appropriate.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Debt Collection.
26.
The detailed administration of voluntary hospitals, which I assume are the hospitals which the Deputy has in mind, including such matters as management of bad debts, is the responsibility of the hospital authorities themselves. So far as I am aware, the debt collecting procedures adopted by those authorities are in general equitable and appropriate.
As the Deputy is probably aware, a recent Press advertisement would seem to indicate that, in the case of one particular hospital, the question of factoring its debts was under consideration. I have no knowledge of the hospital's final decision in the matter, but the Deputy may take it that factoring of debts due from patients is not a procedure of which I would aprove.
Was it not apparent to the Minister from the Press reports that there was a particular hospital concerned? Was it not also apparent from those reports that this was a common practice engaged in by that hospital? Would the Minister agree that debts due by patients to hospitals are not in the same category as ordinary commercial debts arising out of ordinary commercial transactions in view of the fact that people do not incur hospital treatment voluntarily or willingly? Would the Minister agree that discretion should be exercised by hospitals in this matter and that it would be a cruel and heartless thing for a hospital to sell debts to a commercial firm of debt collectors?
With regard to the latter portion of the Deputy's supplementaries, I should like to state that there is no difference between his views and mine. I would certainly deprecate such a procedure. As far as the particular hospital is concerned— it is the only one I know of that has engaged in this—I am not aware whether they have proceeded with this practice. I will make inquiries into this matter but, generally, I deprecate this because it seems to me to be a bookies' transaction more than anything else.
I am glad to have the Minister's assurance.