Although not a tel. no. issue I thought SCV would be interested in this re HS charges.

I was in my local surgery today and saw a notice that stated anyone seeing a doctor following an RTA would have to pay a £22 fee prior to the initial consultation.

What next? Anyone feeling unwell has to pay a fee.

Why do you have to pay a fee to see your doctor because you have had a car crash or been run down by a car?

Really - new one on me. I obvioulsy don't read the notices.

I did think that they charge because you can then claim back from your insurance, however if you are 3rd party and at fault you won't be able to and if you are hit by an uninssured driver you won't be able to make a claim off of their insurance which is particularly relevant if you are 3rd party only or a pedestrian.

Still wrong forum for this so I'll stop now 

Thanks for the concern.

On the basis of some quick research to verify my assumptions, this is all covered by Section 158 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and permitted under paragraph 484.4 of the GMS contract.

It is done to ensure that the full cost of medical treatment consequential from a motor accident is met by the relevant motor insurance policy. All such policies must include this cover in order to be valid.

The BMA Guidance suggests that an account be presented (rather than cash paid at reception before the appointment), perhaps to be forwarded to the driver or their insurance company.

NHS Hospitals have a direct arrangement for recovery of costs from the insurance companies.

There may well be problems in practice, with unknown drivers etc., however I cannot believe that most GPs and hospitals would not take a sympathetic view. They are unlikely to go through your pockets looking for the money if you arrive at A&E unconcious, or lie dying at the roadside.

I would suggest that anyone seeking treatment in this situation (other than in an emergency) arms themselves with the relevant insurance details and / or police incident reference, if possible. You could try claiming on your insurance for the cost of the phone calls to the GP, insurance company and Police!

I believe the ambulance service also charges see here

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080514054947AAcf5qL

I lied when I said I would stop posting because this is not relevant to this thread

Re SCV's question in the last post - on the basis of the notice in my GPs surgery and assuming there isn't extra flexibility not put on the notice the following innocent people would also lose out:

a) Someone with 3rd party insurance who was at fault in the accident
b) Someone with 3rd party insurance hit by an unissured driver
c) A pedestrian/cyclist hit by an unissurred driver

Someone with 3rd party insurance hit by an unissured driver

Isn't there a fund which us insured drivers pay into, so when you are hit by an uninsured driver it pays out to the victim? This is I believe paid out by your own insurer.


A pedestrian/cyclist hit by an unissurred driver....


This should be covered on their house contents insurance I would have thought


Someone with 3rd party insurance who was at fault in the accident

Good enough reason to go 'fully comp?'

Someone with comprehensive insurance who was at fault but who can't make a claim because it is below their excess or does not wish to make a claim because of loss of no claims bonus (will only really apply if no one else is involved and not that likely that both damage is low, but an injury is involved. However it might apply to a young driver where the excess and/or no-claims might be large.)

For a few extra pounds you can protect your no claims bonus


Anyway, if you damaged your headlight for example, you would not hesitate in going to have it replaced out of your own pocket and that would be far more expensive than paying £22 to get you to hospital.

In any case sadly nothing in this world is free and if they did not charge, I guess the council tax would increase accordingly.

I have copied the following from here (my highlights)

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_world/travel/traffic_accidents.htm#traf...


Payment for hospital treatment

Immediate treatment

The driver of a vehicle involved in a road accident may be charged for any emergency medical treatment provided by a doctor (other than one working in or called from a hospital), for example, a doctor who is off duty and happens to be passing by the accident. There is a standard charge plus, in certain circumstances, a mileage allowance. The driver will receive a bill from the doctor some time after the accident. This charge should be included as part of any claim for damages. The driver’s insurance company will usually pay this charge without affecting their no-claims bonus.

Further hospital treatment

In England, Wales and Scotland, if anyone involved in the accident receives further hospital treatment in a non-NHS hospital, as an in-patient or an out-patient, the hospital may claim from the driver’s insurance company up to £2949 for the cost of treatment as an inpatient and up to £295 for the cost of treatment as an outpatient. In Northern Ireland, this applies only to in-patients in both NHS and non-NHS hospitals. The hospital will write to the patient, or their parents if a child was injured, asking for the driver’s name and address, details of their insurance company, whether or not the patient is making a claim against the driver and if a solicitor is acting for the patient.

If someone has a road accident and receives further hospital treatment at an NHS hospital, the Department of Health (in Scotland, the Health Department) can require the insurance company of the other driver to meet some of the costs. Where the driver who caused the accident is not insured or cannot be traced, the costs will be recovered from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).

The Department of Health automatically recovers NHS charges from the insurance company on behalf of the hospital. There is no need for the person to be involved in routine cases. In cases where the person takes civil legal action against the other party, there is no need to include a claim for NHS charge recovery.

If you have problems about being asked to pay for medical treatment after a road accident, you should consult an experienced adviser for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau.

Drat I'm replying again!

Sherbert,

Your replies are fine for the likes of me (and I'm guessing you). That is the problem with the system. I can afford the £22 doctor's fee, but equally I won't have to pay it because my insurance company will cover it.

However if you are poor (the people we should be protecting) they will find this costly yet are the ones most likely not to be covered elsewhere.

Re your answers:

If you are poor you probably don't own your home so won't have house/contents insurance. Even if you did £22 will be below the excess.

If you are ill educated you wont reclaim from the MIB and my doctors surgery requires patients to pay upfront.

If you are poor you will have a cheap car so won't have, nor could afford comprehensive insurance. Even if you do have comprehensive insurance if you are poor you will keep the cost down by having a large excess and won't be able to afford protecting your non claims.

I.E. I'm ok jack, but those less able to afford have to pay.

Re someone has to pay - I agree. But this just shuffles the money around and causes extra cost of admin. By charging £22, NHS costs are reduced, but insurance company costs go up, which of course we pay in premiums.

So we are paying for this anyway. It is just the cost is increased with extra admin and the poor pay twice. They pay £22 when they go to the doctor (if they can't claim it back) and they share part of the £22 of all the people who can claim it back from their insurer in increased insurance premiums.

Seems unfair to me that the poor subsidise the well off and also those with the ability to know what to do to reclaim these costs.