NHSO to investigate clinics that deny patient referrals

The National Health Security Office (NHSO) will probe clinics that fail to refer universal healthcare patients to hospitals, saying such conduct could result in legal action and punishment.
NHSO secretary-general Dr Jadet Thammathataree said yesterday the probe follows complaints from universal healthcare subscribers in Bangkok who have experienced difficulties obtaining patient referral documents.
The complainants claimed the transference process at some clinics required an advance request, ranging from seven days up to a month prior to the transfer date. Some clinics have insisted on treating patients with critical diseases even though the service was beyond their medical capability.
The advance transfer requirements, meanwhile, have caused patients to deal with an additional financial burden, including transportation costs and medical bills, should they decide to seek treatment at hospitals without a referral document, they claim.
Many clinics refused to prescribe medications for patients suffering from chronic disease for longer than seven days, according to the complaints.
That could cause their condition to deteriorate, Dr Jadet said.
He said some medical facilities, ranging from regional hospitals to medical school hospitals, under the universal healthcare contract, were also reported to have refused to accept referred patients despite being contacted by officers from the NHSO Hotline.
Dr Jadet said the NHSO will conduct its probe on a case-by-case basis, with legal charges to be considered in some instances. He instructed the hospitals experiencing issues with referrals to contact the NHSO, adding the office is responsible for the cost of treatment, including an 800-baht deduction for the primary clinics.
Dr Jadet said the NHSO has already made plans for fiscal 2025, with a monthly rate of 800,000 baht per 10,000 patients for each clinic set up.