Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

I will comment on the growth in query claims. In general in an invoicing system where queries arise, it is a shared problem, as a query should not be raised unless the information is defective. When we examined a sample, we identified that the types of queries coming back from insurance companies related to the basis for the accommodation charge but there were also queries that needed to be addressed by the consultants. There would be queries justifying length of stay, provision of medical notes as to whether a patient had a pre-existing condition or why particular treatments were given or other information relating to the consultant. Apart from a kicking ass response, we can deconstruct the problem and say that if we are not getting the correct information on the claim at the beginning, it will result in a query. By sharing the lessons from places where they are getting good-quality accurate information on the invoice at the beginning, there will be fewer grounds for raising queries.

One would expect to see some improvement in 2015 as the system has bedded down from 2014 but that remains to be seen. There needs to be a more analytic approach to solving the problem than just getting in and-----