Naas Hospital Spends Almost €200K On Debt Collectors To Chase Patient Charges

Tuesday, 30 September 2025 11:53

By Martin Osborne - Head of News. Got a story? Email news@kfmradio.com

The HSE says hospitals are obliged to pursue unpaid debts under national regulations, though charges for inpatient and day services were scrapped in April 2023.

Naas General Hospital has spent more than €183,000 on debt collectors over the past decade.

Newly released HSE figures show the hospital paid out between 2013 and 2022 to chase unpaid patient charges, with the highest annual bill reaching over €32,000 in 2022.

While in 2021, the hospital paid out €28,000 chasing unpaid debts.

The HSE says hospitals are obliged to pursue unpaid debts under national regulations, though charges for inpatient and day services were scrapped in April 2023.

Although those charges were scrapped, patients who attend an emergecy department without a referral letter from a GP or a medical card still incur a €100 fee.

The figures were released by the HSE to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín.

More from Local News

Kildare Among Worst Affected Counties As 54,000 Lose Power Nationwide

Met Éireann’s Status Orange and Yellow weather warnings remain in place, and ESB Networks says further outages are likely as conditions continue to change.
Majority Of Councillors Vote To Suspend Pay Parking In Naas During Christmas Period

Audio

Councillor Bill Clear said free parking will operate via a hybrid system. He said that offering free parking helps local businesses and can influence whether residents shop at their local bookstore or choose to buy books on Amazon instead.
Children's Minister Announces Reforms Of Assessment Of Need Process, Admits System Is Broken

Audio

Kildare South Labour TD Mark Wall said that "without the structures in place, this will not be worth the paper it’s written on".
Council Refers Kilcock–Maynooth Shuttle Bus Suggestion To NTA For Consideration

The proposal, put forward by Social Democrats Councillor Peter Melrose, calls for a morning and evening service to allow commuters to connect with Maynooth rail services.
Almost 2,000 Residents In Athy Currently Affected By Power Outages

Customers in Moneycooley and Blake are also without power
Ireland Secures Extension Of Nitrates Derogation To 2028, Minister Heydon Confirms

Audio

The Nitrates Committee of the European Commission met to extend the derogation, which expires this month, until the end of 2028 with some new conditions attached.
Watch: Backlash As Government Video Advises Young Adults How To Cope If They Move Back Home

Over 80% of 25-year-olds in Kildare are still living in their family home.
Dozens Of Dumping Fines And Repeat Offenders Caught In Athy CCTV Pilot At Recycling Bank

The council says there have also been a number of repeat offenders, while 15 incidents could not be pursued because those responsible could not be identified.