Problems collecting Private Patient debt?

Private patients are an increasing problem for a sector suffering a constant battle with debt. Although small in comparison to other issues, non-payments from private patients continue to be an inconvenience for the NHS and general healthcare sectors.

Here at Legal Recoveries & Collections Ltd (LRC) we recognise the need to act and with our specialist law firm background we pride ourselves in being able to assist in the recovery of such debts in a fast, professional and cost effective manner.

Salary overpayments/loans an increasing problem?

It happens, a member of staff leaves and for whatever reason an overpayment of salary, bonus, commission, staff loan or training expense remains unpaid. We’ve found this to be commonplace within the NHS; where staff turnover remains high due to the sheer number of people employed and the reliance upon short term, contract or temporary staff.

LRC can help by providing a professional and ethical method of collecting these overpayments, without causing negative reputational risk or bad press to you. We also understand that these individuals are not debtors in the usual/normal sense of the word, but that they have received over payments (or other services which require a repayment of funds) that need to be recovered as quickly as possible. This means remaining sympathetic to the predicament of the employee, whilst understanding the clients’ needs to recover these funds.

Commercial debtors paying late or not at all...

Problems with commercial clients can often be an uphill struggle for your accounts department. LRC have found that most people who refuse to pay on time do so because they feel they can ‘get away with it’. So, if your accounts department have no established method of recovery, LRC are here to help.

How can LRC help?

With the growth in private medical healthcare and the wider application of cosmetic and improvement surgery, it’s not just hospitals and trusts that are suffering from the burden of growing debt; smaller clinics and other healthcare providers are feeling the effect of reduced profits from unpaid accounts and debtors absconding or hiding from their obligation to pay.

With our experience of collecting credit card and finance debt and debts within sensitive markets such as the housing and education sector... plus of course our experience within the health and NHS sector, no one is better suited at providing a solution than LRC.

An overview of our services

Pre-legal services:

LRC will commence the debt recovery process by sending a letter before action (“LBA”) to the debtor. The LBA clearly sets out specific information such as the invoice amounts and dates, what they need to do should they have a query and how and where to send payment. It also puts the debtor on notice that they have 7 days to pay the debt failing which Court proceedings will be issued and the debtor will be liable for the additional Court costs incurred as well as interest of which will be claimed from the date the invoices became overdue.

(Often the threat of Court action from a third party has the effect of prompting payment.)

Collections:

If the debtor fails to pay following expiry of the LBA you may not wish to commence Court action immediately e.g. if the debt value is relatively small. We can also instigate a collections stage whereby further attempts at recovery of the debt are made via correspondence, telephone, SMS text messaging and e-mail.

Legal services:

Our pre-legal success rates are high, but should the LBA prove unsuccessful LRC can instigate Court action to obtain a Judgment against the debtor on your behalf. There’s no need for you to complete any documentation or complicated paperwork, LRC do all the work. Should you already have a Judgment against one of your debtors we can ensure payments are made via one of a variety of enforcement solutions, including Attachment Of Earnings Orders, Charging Orders against property and the use of Bailiffs or High Court Enforcement Officers. Best of all, all Court costs and fees (up to and including Judgment) are recoverable from the debtor, effectively making the whole process a nil cost exercise to you... in both time and money. Additionally, because LRC can recover interest where applicable, you could end up with more than the original debt.

Tracing missing or absconded debtors:

LRC offer a variety of low cost trace solutions, most of them backed by our ‘No trace No fee’ guarantee. We can also instigate employment traces (helpful when deciding what course of enforcement action to take against a debtor with an unpaid Judgment).

Monitoring your debtors payments:

On those occasions where a debtor agrees to repay an amount via a series of weekly or monthly installments LRC can manage these on your behalf, ensuring that they repay the amount as agreed. LRC will manage all weekly/monthly repayments; and prompt each payment with a reminder letter to the debtor. Should the amount not be received, LRC will proactively seek recovery of the amount, on your behalf, with the threat of Court action or enforcement should monies remain unpaid.

Instructing LRC is simple...

Completing the necessary forms only takes a moment and can be done manually or on-line via our website www.legalrecoveries.com

There are no contracts to sign or up front fees to pay and with our membership of the Credit Services Association, you have a guarantee of a professional and ethical service... including our understanding of your need to recover monies whilst keeping open the option of a continued trading relationship with the debtor.

 

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