PATIENTS attending the Emergency Department at Cork University Hospital failed to pay more than a quarter of a million euro in charges in the past two years.
Last year, 972 patients of the department failed to pay the €100 charge, while 1,665 failed to do so in 2013 — leaving the hospital with unpaid charges of €166,500 for 2013 and €97,200 for 2014.
So far, a debt collection agency has managed to secure just €37,754.50 of unpaid charges for 2013, and €40,000 of those left unpaid last year.
The hospital pays 10% of the recouped fees to the debt collection agency as a service charge.
Figures were supplied through the Freedom of Information Act to the Evening Echo.
Debitask Ltd is hired by CUH to pursue anyone who has not paid the outstanding fee after an initial invoice has been sent out by the hospital.
The Emergency Department fee was introduced in 2011 in hospitals across the country, by the Government.
It applies to people who present to an emergency department without a GPs referral. There is no cost if a GP refers a patient to the department.A number of sectors are exempt from the charge, including medical card holders; people receiving treatment for prescribed infectious diseases; those who are entitled to hospital services because of EU Regulations, and people admitted to hospital after attending the emergency department. In the latter case, patients are instead subject to in-patient or day service charges.