With budgets across the healthcare sector and the NHS in particular already tight, managing and recovering outstanding debt has never been more important for organisations operating within this industry.
Debts can take many forms – from private patients who owe money for services they have accessed, to commercial debt that has accrued internally through the overpayment of salaries.
When the focus for the healthcare industry is on maximising every penny of available budget and delivering the best possible service with what can be very limited resources, having a trusted debt recovery partner on hand can be a real lifeline; as we explain in this sector spotlight article.
What does the healthcare sector cover?
The UK’s healthcare sector covers both the National Health Service (NHS) and private healthcare organisations. The NHS is broad in its structure, consisting of individual GP practices, treatment centres and hospitals, as well as localised NHS Trusts, Foundation Trusts & Integrated Care Boards which enjoy greater freedom in how they deliver their services – including the provision for additional private healthcare.
In the private healthcare sector, hospitals and specialists offer dedicated services to their own roster of patients, with fees paid by the patients rather than being covered by the NHS – although as referenced above, private healthcare can be delivered within NHS settings and paid for by patients in addition to their free NHS healthcare services.
How can healthcare organisations use a debt recovery firm?
When we consider the scale of healthcare delivery across the UK, it is easy to imagine debt accruing very quickly. The waiting list for NHS hospital treatment reached 7.8m people in September 2023 – with the number of patients choosing to go private only set to increase as a result of long wait times. Staff numbers have also increased in recent years, with doctor numbers up 24% and nurses up 22% over the five years to July 2023 (source, UK Parliament).
Growing patient and staff numbers bring with them an increased risk of outstanding debt. Debt types are wide ranging in the healthcare sector and can be accrued via:
- Private patients
- Overseas visitors
- HR debt and salary overpayments
- Prescription debts
- Commercial debts
More details about these different debts can be found on our dedicated healthcare page.
With so many avenues through which debt can accrue, it’s no wonder the NHS and private healthcare organisations need to be able to put their trust in debt recovery firms.
Firms such as Legal Recoveries have the necessary legal and debt recovery expertise to chase up and recover outstanding debt while following the correct processes and remaining compliant at every stage. We understand the entire process.
Whether a debtor is located overseas or in the UK, our strategic services are affordable and reliable – saving the NHS money by avoiding unnecessary drains on precious and stretched internal resources.
Why choose Legal Recoveries when recovering healthcare debts?
We pride ourselves on the quality of our service. Our experienced case officers remain sensitive to the nature of a debt and we appreciate that when it comes to healthcare debts in particular – especially those of a patient – the way the matter is handled can be of primary importance.
We also invest in the right people, systems and processes to make the life of a client easier. All of our clients receive access to our Debt Manager platform where they can monitor the progress of their cases in real-time and thanks to the broad expertise of our team, we promise a holistic debt recovery solution.
From credit control and pre-legal collections, to litigation and enforcement, we will be by your side every step of the way. We also employ our own dedicated compliance team to ensure that we always work within regulatory requirements set by both the FCA and the CSA.
If your healthcare organisation has unpaid debt, get in touch
If you work within an NHS or private healthcare setting and you have outstanding debts that need to be recovered, then we are perfectly placed to walk you through the process.
Our caring culture, married with a tailored approach for each and every client, has seen us instructed to recover debts for private and public sector healthcare organisations right across the UK.
Instruct us today by speaking to our Business Development Team on 0330 024 6342 or email enquiries@legalrecoveries.com
