Case Study – UK NHS Trust
Our Client: a UK National Health Service Trust
The debtor: A UK based Middle Eastern Embassy.
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Our Case
Our Client: a UK National Health Service Trust
The debtor: A UK based Middle Eastern Embassy.
Approach
CCICM established contact with the Accounts Payable department of The Embassy on 3rd September 2021. This was just 1 day after the case was loaded onto our system. Initially, we were asked to supply copies of all the relevant invoices. The invoices referred to an overseas visitor who, while in the UK, received treatment from the NHS Trust.
Subsequently, it transpired that the Trust had already received a payment of £38,929.99 that was allocated to the invoices for this patient, in error. The payment was for an entirely un-related matter.
In quick succession, the Trust then received full payment from the Embassy for £83,413.39 that cleared the patients invoices in full.
However, as the original payment of £38,929.99 had already been received by the Trust and allocated to the patient’s invoices in error, it was assumed that the Trust had been overpaid by this amount. Subsequently, the £38,929.99 was refunded back to the Embassy.
Challenge
The error came to light when the Trust conducted a routine audit.
The challenge now was to unravel the course of events and mediate between the two parties to affect a resolution satisfactory to both parties.
Success
Working with both the Embassy and the Trust, it was quickly established how the confusion between the two payments occurred. The larger of the two payments referred to the charges relating to the patient that received care from the NHS Trust. The lower payment was intended as a ‘grant’ to a Doctor concerning an entirely separate case. The error occurred as the names of both cases were very similar.
Once we shared this with the Embassy, they agreed to accept an invoice to pay back the sum of £38,929.99, on condition that they received a letter from the Trust confirming that it was the Trust’s error. The Trust agreed to this, issued an invoice that was paid by the Embassy within 24 hours.
Key Success Criteria
Our knowledge and experienced in working with and for the NHS, and foreign Embassies.
Excellent negotiation skills, and experience in resolving differences between both client and customer. Seeking the best outcome for our client, while always being fair to the customer.
Benefits
- CCICM is the market leader in healthcare collections, with 80% of UK NHS Trusts, Health Boards and Private Hospitals as long-standing clients.
- The NHS Data Security and Protection has continually certified CCICM as the only Debt Collection Agency to be lawfully entitled to handle NHS patient data.
- Our approach is collaborative not adversarial.
- Improved cashflow.
- No reputational risk.
- Preservation of the ‘client-customer’ relationship.
About Us
- CCICM is a multi-award winning company.
- Over 35 years’ experience in managing credit control.
- We work for Governments, Banks, Accountants, Asset Based Lenders, Turnaround Professionals, Private Equity Firms, Multinationals, and SMEs.
- Headquartered in the UK with 90 partner offices worldwide.
- FCA authorised and regulated ISO27001 & 9001
- We have worked with and for the NHS since the company was formed – for over 35 years!
Our Pricing Model
- We operate on a contingency fee basis – ‘no win – no fee’.
- We do purchase debt portfolios and will consider each opportunity on a case by case basis.
