Should the state pay the unpaid supply bills of hospitals?

In my country south africa there are many unpaid supply bills for hospitals. The way out of this I think is to make the state pay for them in the meantime, as it is for their citizens that they need the money. The state could buy up the debt.

The Politicos are too busy spending the money on essentials, like Lear Jets and Gulfstream Jets!!

For hospitals to pay their bills they need to create revenue. If they were to do house calls, and charge a call out fee, then there could be a lot more money going around.

An obvious anomaly is that you can save money by going into Hospital, where your food and lodging is free.

I can't understand why those who could afford it are not required to pay the "Hotel" element of their stay.

This certainly applies to Benefits-claimants, who DO suffer a reduction for so long as they are in Hospital.

I can't understand why those who could afford it are not required to pay the "Hotel" element of their stay.

In the US, the average cost to simply occupy a bed is $6,000/night.

I can't understand why those who could afford it are not required to pay the "Hotel" element of their stay.

oftenwrong. You want more means-testing, with all the extra bureaucracy (and therefore cost) which that entails? I don't think that many people are better off by being in hospital. You still have to pay your Council Tax, and if family members come and visit you they will have transport costs and often exorbitant hospital parking charges to pay. And then there's the cost of that bunch of grapes which they feel obliged to bring you.....

Everything in the NHS has to be "costed", so there's little extra work involved in presenting the Patient with an Account after discharge. Private Hospitals deal with this as an automatic routine element. There would be no means-testing involved if the amount were collected by HMRC as part of PAYE/NI taxation.

Incidentally, thousands of foreigners receive free treatment including board and lodging from the NHS every year.

I've never completely understood why car-owners will pay for Parking when they go to the shops or a cinema, but expect the general tax-payer to do that for them on Hospital premises.

I've never completely understood why car-owners will pay for Parking when they go to the shops or a cinema, but expect the general tax-payer to do that for them on Hospital premises.

Paying to park - anywhere - is simply the result of greed and avarice. It's almost as bad as paying to pay, but it exists and is growing quite common.

In the Gnuze today, Carlisle Hospital is paying £75 for air fresheners - EACH!!

Carlisle Hospital is paying £75 for air fresheners - EACH!!

Don't you just love these "headlines" with little real facts to back them up?

Does the report seems to fail to describe what type of 'Airfreshener' was fitted....

Are they talking about the Plug in type which are not allowed to be used due to a fire risk due to over heating from prolonged use.........

It does mention a figure of £450 to fit a smoke detector but this is unlikely to be your common household type it will have had to be linked in to the main fire alarm system with it's associated computer backup. But they do not mention that, same goes with the changing of a door which will nodoubt be a 20 to 30 minute fire door.

A prime example of how a Management can baffle members of the Public who ask inconvenient questions.