Freedom of Information Request: 0286 2019/20
How many private patient beds does your trust currently have in each of the following settings?
10.
a) A dedicated private patient unit
Yes.
b) Private patient wards
Edgbaston ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
c) Other private beds eg. on or near NHS wards
No.
What is the total number of private beds currently designated for self-pay patients? The 10 beds are used for self-pay, insured and overseas patients, there are no beds specifically dedicated for self-pay patients.
Are NHS patients ever allocated private beds?
Yes.
If so, what proportion of private bed days would be taken up in this way (2018/19)?
We do not record this in a way that is easily extractable.
Please state the total annual cost to your NHS Trust in providing self-pay treatment in 2018/19.
The cost of UHB (all sites) self-pay/insurance patients in 18/19 was £4,087,841. This covers all self-pay and insurance patients treated in 18/19 which would include patients from overseas not covered by reciprocal agreements. This is not comparable to the income received due to timings of payments.
Please state the total amount billed for provision of private treatment in 2018/19 to:
(a) self-pay patients
QE: £718k
Please see below notes for QE
HGS: £621k
(b) private health insurer(s)
QE: £3,307k
The amounts are net of invoices and credit notes raised within FY 2018/19. As such a credit note raised during FY 18/19 relating to a previous years invoice will be included here, with credit notes raised during FY 19/20 that related to invoices from FY 18/19 being omitted.
The amounts include monies invoiced on behalf of clinical staff.
Where no insurance details were available at the time the patient account was set up within the Trust ledger then it is assumed the patient was a self-payer
Most payments made up front are deducted from the value of the invoice, meaning many invoices are actually raised for a reduced or NIL value. These deductions have been removed and these amounts reflect the cost of treatment provided.
HGS: Included in 5(a)
It is not possible to separate those patients with insurance and those without from within the Trust Finance ledgers
The amounts are net of invoices and credit notes raised within FY 2018/19. As such a credit note raised during FY 18/19 relating to a previous years invoice will be included here, with credit notes raised during FY 19/20 that related to invoices from FY 18/19 being omitted.
The amounts include any monies invoiced on behalf of clinical staff.
Please state the amount received as a result of this billing in each case.
(a) self-pay patients
QE: £766k
HGS: £562k
(b) private health insurer(s)
QE: £3,508k
HGS: Included in 6(a)
It is not possible to separate those patients with insurance and those without from within the Trust Finance ledgers
Payments are recorded in the Trust ledgers as at the date the payment is received, not the date of the invoice the payment relates to. As such a payment received during FY 18/19 relating to a previous years invoice will be included here, with a payment received in FY 19/20 that related to invoices from FY 18/19 being omitted.
Payments received upfront of invoicing are included.
