Consultant denies hospital €500,000 by failing to sign vital forms

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN ONE HOSPITAL consultant alone in Galway has failed to sign forms that would allow the cash-strapped hospital recoup nearly €500,000 from private health insurers. It emerged this week that while University Hospital and Merlin Park Hospital in Galway are trying to cope with a €13.4 million budget over-run, the amount outstanding from private health insurance companies is €15.5 million. However nearly half of what is owed hasn't been claimed for as yet, mainly because the consultant signature is awaited in claims totalling just under €6 million. Members of the West Regional Health Forum were aghast at the disclosure that one Galway consultant has yet to sign forms that would reclaim €496,000. Chairman Cllr Padraig Conneely described the situation as 'absolutely outrageous' and called for the consultant concerned to be named and reported to the medical council. 'I'm completely flabbergasted by this,' said Cllr Conneely, who said the consultant should be denied access to private beds in the public hospitals. He said it was outrageous that nearly €6 million was owed to Galway hospitals because consultants haven't signed the necessary forms, particularly at a time when the hospital needs the money. 'It is very unfair that no action is being taken against these consultants,' he added. HSE officials acknowledged that the issue of reclaiming costs was a long standing and frustrating one. Tony Canavan, Chief Operating Officer of the Galway, Roscommon Hospital Group said there had been a huge level of co-operation over the past nine months from consultants and he hoped to have the millions owed reclaimed before the end of the year. Matter tackled CEO of Galway, Roscommon Hospital Group Bill Maher indicated that the matter was being firmly tackled and assured the meeting that the figures would not be the same by the end of the year. New agreements are expected to be implemented next year that would ensure claim forms are signed within 14 days and Galway hospitals will be part of a pilot scheme where claims to health insurance companies will be made electronically. Ballinasloe-based Cllr Michael Finnerty said the problem wasn't with the consultants but with the insurance companies. He said there were 17 parts of the form to process and that many consultants made sure to fill out each section themselves. 'One night stay in a hospital costs €1,000 so €496,000 is not a huge amount,' he said, stating that it was lazy analysis to blame consultants' signatures. Health services in the region continue to be under serious financial pressure and management accept that they will have no choice but to enter next year with a significant budget deficit. While inpatient waiting times have been dramatically reduced since the beginning of the year, the number of patients waiting for an out-patient appointment to see a consultant in Galway has reached just under 41,000. Waiting lists are high across all departments but especially in orthopaedics (7,183), plastics (3,127), ear, nose and throat (5,326) and urology (4,347). Cllr Catherine Connolly said waiting times in many areas had gotten worse since February and she deplored the prospect of further cost containment measures because of budget pressures. Bill Maher said that the health services were delivering more activity with fewer staff and less money. 'I know we need to tackle the out-patient lists and we will,' he said.