£360,000 Recovered From a Ledger That Was About to Be Written Off, Without Losing a Single Patient

The Challenge

A private healthcare provider came to us with a ledger that their internal credit control team had been unable to manage. The debt had built up over a significant period of time, with some invoices dating back five years. By the time they reached out to us, the business had made a decision: the ledger was going to be written off. We were their last attempt before doing so.

The picture was a complex one. The majority of the debtors were vulnerable individuals: people dealing with ongoing health conditions, financial hardship, or difficult personal circumstances. The healthcare provider was not willing to pursue these individuals aggressively, and rightly so. But years of missed follow-up by their internal team had left a significant volume of debt sitting unresolved, with no clear path to recovery.

What they needed was someone who could step in with a completely different approach: sensitive, professional, and persistent. Someone who could recover what was owed without causing harm to the people they served.

Why They Chose KS Credit Control

The client had looked at several options, but traditional debt collection agencies felt too confrontational for their patient base. They needed a partner who understood that this was not a standard commercial ledger. These were people who had come to them for healthcare, and that relationship had to be honoured throughout the recovery process.

When they spoke with us, it became clear quickly that our approach aligned with their values. We explained that we would operate entirely under their brand name, so their patients would never know a third party was involved. We also made clear that every contact would be handled with empathy, patience, and a genuine willingness to find solutions that worked for the individual, not just the bottom line. Given that they were already prepared to write the ledger off, any recovery at all would be a win. But we believed we could do considerably better than that.

Our Approach

From the outset, we recognised that a standard dunning process was not appropriate here. Every account required individual assessment, and our communications needed to reflect the sensitivity of the circumstances.

• Ledger triage: We reviewed every account individually, categorising debtors by age of debt, known circumstances where available, and likelihood of recovery. Highly aged debts and vulnerable accounts were flagged for a softer, more personalised approach from the outset.
• Compassionate first contact: All initial communications were warm, non-threatening, and focused on opening a conversation rather than demanding immediate payment. We acknowledged that time had passed and made clear we were there to help find a resolution, not to add to anyone's stress.
• Flexible payment arrangements: For the many debtors who could not pay in full, we negotiated affordable payment plans over extended periods. Some arrangements were structured across many months to ensure they were genuinely sustainable for the individual.
• Persistent but patient follow-up: Highly aged debts require consistency. We followed up regularly without applying undue pressure, maintaining communication and keeping the door open for those who needed more time to engage.
• White-label throughout: Every email, letter, and phone call was conducted under the client's name and branding. Their patients dealt with what appeared to be an internal team: professional, caring, and familiar.

The Results

The outcome exceeded what the client, and many would, consider possible for a ledger that had already been written off internally:

• £360,000 recovered across the ledger, including a significant proportion of invoices that were five or more years old
• Zero patients lost as a result of the recovery process. The provider's patient relationships remained fully intact throughout
• Payment plans successfully set up for those unable to pay in full, turning previously unrecoverable balances into structured, ongoing income
• A five-star Trustpilot review submitted unprompted by one of the patients, praising the kindness, professionalism, and care shown by the member of our team who handled their account

A Trustpilot Review That Said It All

Perhaps the most telling measure of success was not the money recovered. It was a Trustpilot review left by one of the patients we contacted during the engagement.

Because we operated white-label, the review was posted to our client's Trustpilot account. The patient named the member of our team they had spoken with and described them as kind, professional, and caring. They said the experience of resolving their outstanding balance had been far easier and more respectful than they had expected.

For a debt recovery engagement involving vulnerable individuals and invoices up to five years old, receiving an unprompted five-star review is a remarkable outcome. It reflects exactly what we believe credit control should be: professional, human, and focused on finding the right resolution for everyone involved.

“We had all but given up on this ledger. Our internal team had tried and we were on the verge of writing it off entirely. KS Credit Control handled every account with a level of care and sensitivity that genuinely surprised us. We recovered far more than we ever expected, and we kept our patients' trust throughout. One of our patients even left us a Trustpilot review praising the person who called them. That says everything.”

What Made the Difference

1. Empathy as a recovery tool. Treating vulnerable individuals with genuine care and patience opened doors that an aggressive approach would have firmly closed. People respond to being treated with dignity, and when they do, they pay.
2. Flexibility in payment solutions. Aged debt and vulnerable debtors rarely mean money is gone forever. Often it simply means the right arrangement hasn't been found yet. Tailored payment plans turned seemingly unrecoverable balances into real income.
3. White-label trust. By operating entirely under the client's brand, we preserved the patient-provider relationship at every stage. Patients felt they were dealing with a team that knew them, because as far as they were concerned, they were.