Financial Confidentiality

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Julie Innes — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 14:19:09 GMT

We have annotations on the notes if people haven't paid- they get a polite "this may have been an oversight" letter, then a "this account is overdue!" letter, then a letter saying pay within 7 days or you are off to the debt collector and sacked off our list. We put on the notes each time we send a letter, then a note that they were sacked for non-payment. If they move to another practice all those clinical notes are sent. I didn't think that wasn't allowed

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 11:52:09 GMT

[quote user="Nick Taylor"]Also, your reluctance to use the County Court stems from your belief that your bad debtors already have CCJs hence won't care. Is it possible to perform routine CCJ checks each time you take a new client?[/quote]My experience is that I have never secured payment through a county court summons. Most debtors who allow it to go that far are serial bad debtors and know how to milk the system. If they're going to pay they will normally do so if you use a debt collector and the threat of legal action is enough.

I am once bitten twice shy and have had no bad debts other than a consultation fee for many years. Medication is withheld so I've lost nothing other than my time and possibly 10p worth of antibiotic injection so I just write those off and make a note that they're never to be seen again. Any new client is asked to pay 50% of the estimated as a deposit for admissions. You get a sixth sense sense as to who you can trust - the dodgy ones are pretty stereotypical.

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Beats — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:34:14 GMT

can't answer your question.

but thinking a bit laterally, if you send the owner a letter declining future treatment on the basis of outstanding debt and giving sufficient time to arrange another vet to cover their needs, and the event organiser makes a requirement of registering at their event that the horse can be treated by your veterinary clinic as you will be providing the emergency cover, and runs a list of participants past you in advance to confirm this...

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Nick Taylor — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:31:50 GMT

If you do speak to the VDS I'd be interested to hear the outcome of your chat.

Also, your reluctance to use the County Court stems from your belief that your bad debtors already have CCJs hence won't care. Is it possible to perform routine CCJ checks each time you take a new client?

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Eilidh Corr — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 21:57:26 GMT

So when forwarding a history to another practice, you mean you don't phone them up to confirm they've received it, and mention that you ask for payment at the time? <innocent>

I agree that you should approach the VDS for advice. It is infuriating that you have a situation where a third party could essentially mete out a punishment that would have your fees paid quickly but it can't be carried out due to confidentiality, when they have take such liberties with your services

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Kate Richardson — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 19:51:23 GMT

Wren worth speaking to someone at VDS?

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 16:21:47 GMT

Surely if there was a note in the clinical history which ostensibly was an indicator for the next person in your practice that the client hadn't paid that is not breaking any confidentiality and you cannot change the clinical history!

I have to say that I have such a poor relationship with our local practices that quite frankly they deserve what they get with one of our bad debts but if it was someone I respected and trusted I would have a private word in his/her ear, its then their word against yours that you dobbed the client should it ever come out in the wash.

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Wren — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 16:03:54 GMT

I am grateful for your replies. I am pretty sorted on the court/debt collection aspect, but thank you.

I just wondered if anyone had any clear guidance on how far our duty of confidentiality extends when applied to debts. Debts clearly come into the public domain at some point once court proceedings are invoked, but are there other circumstances when we would be able to divulge that X owes us an outstanding debt?

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Bob Russell — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 13:18:52 GMT

I would still go via a debt collection agency. A few pay at this point. Then get a court judgement against them.

This might just be added to the pile of other CCJ's but at least you can sleep knowing you have bu++ered up their credit rating if not done already.

We have had payment a year after the event because the client needed to move house and could not get a mortgage.

I agree 95% of the time it is a hollow victory but IMO worth the court fees on principle!

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 12:48:57 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[quote user="Wren"]ways of pursuing bad debts[/quote]

County Court on line.

[/quote]

Chocolate fireguard.

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Wren — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 10:16:17 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[quote user="Wren"]ways of pursuing bad debts[/quote]

County Court on line.

[/quote]

Yes. Sounds great in theory, but the reality is not so useful. A couple of the people I am trying to pin down already have CCJs against them, which makes it fairly pointless. Plus when the court inevitably finds in your favour they award you the notional victory, and tell the debtor to pay you the full amount, at the grand rate of something like £10/month. Any you get to pay ~£80 for the privilege.

RE: Financial Confidentiality

Anthony Todd — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 09:58:19 GMT

[quote user="Wren"]ways of pursuing bad debts[/quote]

County Court on line.