Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley has slammed Government for not getting to grips with the doctors and insurers row after it was announced patients will be billed directly for all hospital procedures, starting Tuesday.

Doctors took the decision after failing to agree a new fee schedule for operations with insurers.

Mr. Dunkley said Government had the power to set the fees under the Health Act and the Bermuda Hospitals Board Act and he said Minister Nelson Bascome had been slow to get mediation.

He said: "I can't for the life of me understand why he's afraid to pull the trigger."

Mr. Dunkley said he could understand both the doctors and the insurers point of view but he said it was "legalised fraud" to deduct health insurance contributions from pay and then ask patients to pay again, up front, for operations.

Doctors and insurers have been arguing about the issue for over a year but from Tuesday patients will have to pay within 30 days for operations.

Some patients have already been given bills. "I have been besieged by calls by calls from people with complaints about this," said Mr. Dunkley.

"It's sickening we have a government that's unable to make a decision.

"In life there's always a time where things come to an impasse. That's where leadership comes in.

"In spite of the minister's promises in the summer that the issue would soon be resolved in October we are still no nearer to a resolution.

"We had threats that people would have to pay out of their own pockets but that threat is now a reality."