AIBU to think we shouldn't have got a bill for doctor appointment?

[Rainatnight]

DD, 2, had an outpatients hospital appointment in the summer for suspected asthma. Saw the consultant, we where packed off with a prescription, all fine.

We're in the UK, it was an NHS appointment based on a GP referral.

Today, I opened an invoice from the hospital for £330!

It's just an invoice, no explanation of why we're being charged.

I can ring in the morning and ask but wondered if anyone knew why this might have happened?

^To prove she's not an overseas national, I need to send them photos of
-her passport or birth cert

• my partner's passport
• something with our address on, like a utility bill or bank statement.

TBH that’s only going to take a few moments. I’d send them the information and not worry about it any more. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sorry my italics didn’t work properly

I really don't blame my GP. I think it's entirely the hospital's fault. I think the rule is that a check has to be done at the point of care (which would be when we showed up for the appointment). I reckon they were supposed to ask me for documentation, didn't, so didn't tick whatever box it was on the form, so the system defaulted to thinking DD was an overseas national.

I think I'm just going to send it all off rather than make a fuss (though my inclination in almost all circumstances is to make a fuss ). The important thing is to make the giant bill go away.

zzzzz I've been asked to send it to an NHS email address and I'm assuming they're covered by data protection legislation, so won't sell my details to criminals!

zzzzz I've been asked to send it to an NHS email address and I'm assuming they're covered by data protection legislation, so won't sell my details to criminals!

Accident or carelessness is more likely frankly, depending on where the data is being handled.

They are asking for a hell of a lot of identification to remedy their mistake.

op mark the top of the e mail for when they read it to notify you & copy email/download onto your computer. I am naturally cynical from experience about ANY form of Bureaucracy - after all that's what gave you the problem! & please state who you had conversation with re issue & exactly what was said & when (time!!!)

I had to send all of this (and more - including payslips) to my NHS trust before they would admit me to antenatal care. This was in April this year. I had the email option but I went in to the hospital admin office to do it.

My husband had similar based on his name (after hospital treatment and also relating to free prescriptions back when we were eligible via tax credits) as he has Hispanic names. He was eligible and had never been asked for any proof. It made me so angry. Challenge it or ignore it, but don't worry about it.

Happened to me before when the nhs sent me to a private hospital for treatment - called them up and spoke to the accounts department - it was an error and they said sorry all dealt with in 5 minutes over the phone :-)

It's all rather odd - I'm English, normally resident in Ireland, but have managed to register as a temporary patient several times at my Dad's GP practice (in the UK) - never been given a bill, although I'd be happy to pay if I was. I think it comes down to having an NHS number- seems to oil the wheels. Hope you get it sorted out, OP.