"Virgin bills dead people"

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

When I worked at a hospital there was a charity linked to us that collected monies for us to help get expensive new equipment and run things not always covered by the NHS coffers.

When a patient was discharged their postal details were passed to the charity so they could mail the patient (unless requested otherwise) explaining who they were and asking for money. Actually it probably was more like a remember us in you will type of thing.

Nothing wrong with this, many do it. Trouble was that the system didn't check the reason for discharge so sent mail to people who had died in the hospital. One of my jobs was to modify the process so people who had this code in the discharge reason did not have their details forwarded.

Hey if we could do this in 1990 it should be easy in today's systems excepting they don't write their own systems anymore, they buy them in and the vendor then wants huge amounts to change the system and really long lead times.

Even then, it still needs someone to update the correct setting on the system so it knows the person is dead. No point in typing (say) "deceased" in the name box if the system is looking in another place to determine if someone is alive or dead.

[Welshchris]

Virgin are not the only people that do this.....

Last November when i moved in here i contacted Eon who was the current supplier of electric to the flat from the previous occupant and said i had just moved in and that the previous occupant was dead as he died at the flat.... They tried saying that an outstanding bill of £1250 had to be settled and even sent a copy of the bill on his name, i then rang again and said basically "Look, the guy is dead, im the new occupant" They then sent on MY name a copy of the bill for me to pay".

So Virgin arnt the only company that try this on.

[v0id]

I recall Watchdog doing similar items about billing dead folk with a host of other companies in the past. Virginmedia are just the latest target.

It used to be blamed on human error, now I bet they blame it on the automatic billing systems

[Turkey Machine]

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

When I worked at a hospital there was a charity linked to us that collected monies for us to help get expensive new equipment and run things not always covered by the NHS coffers.

When a patient was discharged their postal details were passed to the charity so they could mail the patient (unless requested otherwise) explaining who they were and asking for money. Actually it probably was more like a remember us in you will type of thing.

Nothing wrong with this, many do it. Trouble was that the system didn't check the reason for discharge so sent mail to people who had died in the hospital. One of my jobs was to modify the process so people who had this code in the discharge reason did not have their details forwarded.

Hey if we could do this in 1990 it should be easy in today's systems excepting they don't write their own systems anymore, they buy them in and the vendor then wants huge amounts to change the system and really long lead times.

People are trained to use the system, not learn it.

[Hiroki]

I thought every company had a problem with this.

Anyone noticed how rubbish the new format for watchdog is?

[tweetiepooh]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Even then, it still needs someone to update the correct setting on the system so it knows the person is dead. No point in typing (say) "deceased" in the name box if the system is looking in another place to determine if someone is alive or dead.

Part of a discharge record is a code for reason. This is a set of fixed codes defined by the NHS (many thick manuals of codes) and a valid code is required before you could progress.

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Hiroki

I thought every company had a problem with this.

Anyone noticed how rubbish the new format for watchdog is?

Yeah..really hate the new format for WD.