Last week, a group of overseas’ visitor managers, business managers and others from across London hospitals got together to start the first in what we collectively hope will be a series of successful London network events.
We’re running these events in order to create a supportive and challenging group that can share best practice and go further and faster with the recovery of costs from visitors and migrants who use secondary care services. And if the events are useful, we will be looking to work with or support other regional networks.
Two hours in a slightly drafty hall in King's College brought together ambitions, ideas and enthusiasm for challenging the status quo and providing ideas on how we can make the current system work better. These were really useful as we finalise implementation decisions for national rollout, and develop clearer guidance and a toolbox to support local delivery.
Sir Keith Pearson, who acts as the NHS adviser to the Department of Health’s visitor and migrant NHS cost recovery programme, chaired the meeting, recognising and thanking the attendees for the work they do day-in, day-out to identify and recover costs from chargeable patients - which puts the much appreciated money back into patient services for the NHS.
The group agreed to meet again, and to extend the network to senior NHS leaders and commissioners. The next meeting of the London network will be for finance directors on 25 February. For further details contact us at nhscostrecovery@dh.gsi.gov.uk. I look forward to seeing you there!
Do you have a local network in your area that we could come and talk to? If so, please let me know.
2 comments
Comment by Xiaohong posted on
As a taxpayer, service user and NHS employee , I welcome the inititive. This will benifit the organisation on the whlole, strengthen the brand and capitalise the competitivess of NHS in the international market in long term.
Comment by Kate Dixon posted on
Thank you. Where do you work, and might you be interested in joining, or starting a local network in your area?
Kate Dixon
Deputy Director of the Visitor and Migrant NHS Cost Recovery Programme