Mrs Sherlock has been campaigning for well over a decade to ensure others don’t suffer from the same apparent errors in administration and lack of attention to detail by the medical bureaucracy that presented her with an additional – and apparently unnecessary – financial burden at a time when she was already having to deal with the sad reality her husband of many years was dying.

A letter in Mrs Sherlock’s possession would appear to indicate the then New England Health Service made claims against MBF for $9869.20 for a period when he was not in hospital.

This is, if true, absolutely scandalous – and possibly a reason why private medical insurance continues to rise, and rise and rise in cost.

Hunter New England Health, the successor body to the New England Health Service, has – we are honour-bound to add – denied Mrs Sherlock’s claims.

She has a second letter in her possession which contradicts the admission date referred to in the first.

The second letter, we are also honour-bound to note, was penned four years later when the significance of the original possible error was very clear.

While we would be loathe to say self-interest may have played a part in the subsequent correction and denial we would also have to be as green as grass to rule the possibility out entirely.

Mrs Sherlock’s principal concern is not whether MBF was called upon to make payments it was not legally required to however.

Her main beef is that the way in which the New England Health Service chose to classify her dying husband left the couple unable to take advantage of their private cover.

Because Mr Sherlock was classified as a nursing home patient the Sherlocks had to stump up $184.80 a week of their own funds.

Apparently if you die quick you’re covered – but heaven help you if you die slow!