The HSE spent €931,000 on debt collectors in the space of 22 months - as they chased patients who didn't pay hospital bills.
The money was spent by public hospitals between January 2020 and October of last year.
It costs €80 to be seen in an emergency department, and €100 for an overnight hospital stay.
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Beaumont Hospital consultant, Bill Tormey, says all public hospital charges should be scrapped: