1. The 2018/19 financial accounts are within the 2018/19 Annual Report available on the Trust website at https://www.elht.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-publications-annual-reports-and-accounts
Please refer to note 11 – page 105 of the notes for Losses and Special Payments.
In this instance we rely on Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act as this information is already accessible in the public domain.
2. The three largest single amounts are as follows;
a. Overseas visitor debt write off (£40,304.51) – Due to both the Trust and debt collection agency used by the Trust were unable to trace the debtor. The debt was written off in 2018/19
b. Overseas visitor debt write-off (£20,225.99) – Due to both the Trust and the debt collection agency used by the Trust being unable to recoup the debt from the overseas visitor, this debt was written off in 2018/19. However, the debt collection agency has since recovered this debt.
c. The third largest are three separate cases all for £10,000 each.
i. 3a and 3b are two single amounts of £10,000 representing the excess on employers’ liability claims against the Trust, payable under the Liabilities to Third Parties Scheme administered by NHS Resolution. Due to the nature of these claims, the Data Protection Act 2018 prevents the Trust from providing a more detailed description as this may lead to the identification of individuals.
ii. 3c is a special payment, also of £10,000 as advised by the Parliamentary & Health Ombudsman following their investigation into a complaint about the quality of care for a particular patient. The Data Protection Act 2018 prevents the Trust from providing a more detailed description as this may lead to the identification of individuals.
3. The biggest loss written off in 2018/19 relating to an unpaid patient bill was £40,304.51. The full invoice amount was written off. The patient received care at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital followed by rehabilitation at Pendle Community Hospital. The nationality of the patient is British.
