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Can't pay? Won't pay? Managing debt in practice
Author(s) -
McNeill Ewan,
Blayney Nick
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
in practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.211
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 2042-7689
pISSN - 0263-841X
DOI - 10.1136/inpract.29.1.47
Subject(s) - debt , payment , principal (computer security) , cash , business , cash flow , balance (ability) , finance , medicine , computer science , physical medicine and rehabilitation , operating system
BAD debts are one of the principal causes of high blood pressure in the offices of many veterinary practices, while slow payers are a hindrance to good cash flow and a more comfortable bank balance. Debt mountains are also a major problem for many clients. As part of a culture of care, practitioners should ensure that the debt in their practices is minimised and that their clients understand that, while veterinary care is neither cheap nor free, there are ways to help them manage animal treatment costs. In this article Ewan McNeill and Nick Blayney explain some of the issues surrounding fee payment and examine strategies that may minimise debt, while, on page 50, Jeremy Collyer shares his experiences of pursuing a debt through the small claims court, as a last resort.