I'd be happy to help. I'll be in Neuchatel tomorrow lunchtime if you want me to look over anything.

Following Shorrick's excellent post I did some digging and actually translated some of the letter and found the representative and the contact details which are on the Hospital website.

I will give this chap a call later to clear up the confusion. If that fails I will call the office des poursuites.

No reply from the employer.

You only have a few days to object to the accusation. You need to photocopy the letter and write on it "Rechtsvorschlag erhoben" sign it and send it back before the 5 days are up after you received it.
Do that today! What is the correct term in French meaning Objection made! Maybe "Proposition législative soulevées"

As for the debt collectors, unfortunately they are more difficult, as legally they are selling "Black lists" but you might be able to convince them it's not your bill to pay.

Maybe the hospital sent the bills to the employer and she convinced them to send them to you? I think you could visit the Employment Tribunal, and get this employer before a judge, she might then change her attitude.

Not if it came from a debt collector as opposed to the betreibung / poursuite.

Opposition totale. But again that doesn't work with a letter.

It's not a huge amount so I will probably just end up paying it myself. I'm sick of the whole situation and was hoping that it was over.

I think I'd be inclined to do the same if the amount is really so small. The important thing here in my opinion is to make sure that you don't get listed at the Office des Poursuites as having 'bad' debts as this could have implications for you in the future.

if you do end up doing this, I'd then start proceedings against the employer as they've not met their obligations with regards to insurance coverage.

Just had another thought. It might be worth making sure that all the other hospital bills have been paid. It may just be that this one slipped through the net but if the employer 'forgot' some of the other bills along the way you might end up with some more 'nasty shocks' falling into your letter box.

I don't really have the time or patience for that

That's a good point. I will ask when they call me back later today.

Thatis correct, nbo franchise is what i had to pay when we claimed the accident of our nanny through our insurance