Council pledge over alarm payments
Health chiefs have changed the way pensioners and disabled people are billed for emergency alarms.
Renfrewshire Community Health Partnership (RCHP) has moved to annual invoices for the lifeline service.
Alert bracelet wearers will be given a yearly breakdown of costs, with the option to pay monthly.
Ian McConaghy, 71, uses the service after he was diagnosed with asbestosis and says he has been left“baffled”by the switch.
He said:“I’ve been hit with an invoice showing the full amount.
“It gives methods of payment, but nowhere on the invoice does it say you can pay it in instalments. It could be frightening for people who don’t have the money up front.”
RCHP runs the service on behalf of the NHS and Renfrewshire Council.
Bosses contacted all users weeks before the move to annual breakdowns.
They assure patients they have more options and can pay in manageable chunks.
Councillor John Hood, member for Johnstone South and Elderslie, has called for a rethink on how vulnerable people are billed.
He said:“My own grandmother got the exact same letter.
“It’s simply not clear from the invoice that month instalments might be offered.
“There’s a complete discord between those using the alarms and the people running it.”
RHCP says the change makes it easier to see how much each user is paying over 12 months.
They alerted customers to the change a month ahead of the switch and say they can spread the payments or choose to pay in a lump sum.
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “All customers receiving community alarm services from Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership are now offered an improved service where they can pay in instalments over a frequency that suits them, including weekly, monthly, quarterly or in full.
“The invoice at the start of the financial year presents the annual charge in order that customers are aware of the total charge. Letters were issued to all community alarm users in March to make them aware of these improvements to the billing process, which detailed the increased payment flexibility for customers.
“Customers can contact us on 0141 618 2547 to agree on the payments that work best for them.”