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Psychiatrists' reticence about fees

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  • 17-10-2014 8:21pm
    #1
    Brown Bolt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭


    Recently I attended a GP, who referred me to a psychiatrist. I then
    received a letter in the post from the psychiatrist, suggesting a time
    for an appointment.

    There was no mention of fees, and I could find nothing on the Web about
    the matter, so I phoned the psychiatrist to ask. I was told that there
    is a fixed fee for the first consultation, with the fees for subsequent
    consultations being a matter for discussion.

    Two questions:

    1) Is it usual for psychiatrists in Ireland to be reticent about
    their fees? (From the patient's point of view, the ideal would be
    for the psychiatrist to list his fees on the Web.)

    2) Is the above psychiatrist unusual in not having a fixed fee for
    some consultations?

    In relation to question (1): I suppose that psychiatrists have something
    of a captive market, because a patient who is dissatisfied about fees
    has to go back to his GP and ask for another referral. A possible
    solution to this problem is for the patient to indicate a price range
    when attending his GP, which the GP would then take into account when
    selecting a psychiatrist.


Comments

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    #2
    A Neurotic
    Registered Users Posts: 3,779 ✭✭✭A Neurotic


    Are you sure you have to pay any fee at all? My understanding would be that if your GP referred you publicly you won't have to pay anything.

    Or did your GP refer/recommend you a private psychiatrist?


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    #3
    Brown Bolt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭Brown Bolt


    A Neurotic wrote: »
    Or did your GP refer/recommend you a private psychiatrist?

    Yes, the GP referred me to a psychiatrist in private practice.


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    #4
    huskerdu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭huskerdu


    It is normal for Irish doctors not to put their prices on a website. In fact, I think it is banned, as it would be a form
    of advertising.

    Have a look at the following article for more information

    http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=16668

    The psychiatrist probably does have a defined fee structure and it waiting to decide what treatment to recommend, before telling you how much it will cost.

    I share your frustration, but this is normal behaviour from Irish consultants


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    #5
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,723 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    huskerdu wrote: »
    It is normal for Irish doctors not to put their prices on a website. In fact, I think it is banned, as it would be a form
    of advertising.

    Have a look at the following article for more information

    http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=16668

    Ahh, did you read that artricle that you linked to? It explicitly says that they are now allowed to advertise now.

    It is normal for GP clinics to put their price structure on their website - I can point to any number of local practices that do so.

    Consultants, perhaps have a fee-scale which has a wider range of options and market themselves to GPs rather than directly to patients, so may have a different approach - but they are not required to.


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    #6
    Taco Chips
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Taco Chips


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Ahh, did you read that artricle that you linked to? It explicitly says that they are now allowed to advertise now.

    It is normal for GP clinics to put their price structure on their website - I can point to any number of local practices that do so.

    Consultants, perhaps have a fee-scale which has a wider range of options and market themselves to GPs rather than directly to patients, so may have a different approach - but they are not required to.

    Yes but it's still new and very much not the norm. In fact I would be surprised to see specialists outside of GPs taking part in this type of advertising. Also theres a lot of further clarification required. From the same article

    The College has said, however, that the question of advertising prices requires more detailed consideration and further clarification and it will discuss this issue with the Medical Council.

    The College's Communications Chairman Dr Mel Bates told irishhealth.com that while the new advertising guidelines needed to be clarified in areas such as advertising prices, he pointed out that most patients would not necessarily shop around for GP services in the same way they might do for petrol.


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