Tuesday 18 October 2017
PRIVATE HOSPITALS ASSOCIATION WELCOMES MINISTER’S €70M COMMITMENT TO NATIONAL TREATMENT PURCHASE FUND
- \”Two year budget commitment to waiting list initiative will ensure better access for patients, efficient planning and value for money for the tax payer.\”
The Private Hospitals Association (PHA) today welcomed the recent budget and the announcement of a fresh approach to Waiting Lists from Health Minister, Simon Harris T.D.
The Minister has secured at least €70M over the next two years to treat patients who have been on waiting lists for unacceptably long periods. The funding will be administered by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) which has a track record in procuring patient care efficiently.
Speaking after a meeting with the Minister, PHA Chief Executive, Simon Nugent, said “By securing and announcing funding for 2018 as well as 2017 the Minister has sent a clear signal – to both patients and private hospitals – that he has a long term strategy for tackling waiting lists. A multi annual approach allows the PHA’s members to plan ahead, maximising the number of patients that can be treated as quickly as possible – ensuring best value for money and reducing the burden on the taxpayer.”
“The PHA assured the Minister that private hospitals across Ireland are ready and able to provide treatment to patients on public waiting lists. We treat about 400,000 patients a year and perform at least 250,000 theatre procedures and have the capacity to see patients quickly, effectively and with high quality outcomes”.
Mr Nugent noted that when the National Treatment Fund was used to tackle waiting lists in the period prior to 2011, it proved very successful – treating up to 20,000 In Patients per annum, being greatly welcomed by patients* and positively evaluated in successive annual reports published by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).
Ends
For further information
Editors notes
- Latest public waiting list figures
Recently published NTPF data showed the following patient numbers at end September 2016:
- 78,694 were on In Patient waiting lists (15,048 waiting more than 12 months)
- 438,267 were on Out Patient waiting lists (78,329 waiting more than 12 months)
- 17,984 were on GI Endoscopy waiting lists (1,079 waiting more than 12 months)
- NTPF performance pre 2011
- In each of the last full years of purchasing activity (2009 and 2010) the NTPF funded the treatment of almost 20,000 In Patients and about 10,000 Out Patients with an annual budget of €90M.
- *NTPF Annual Reports can be found at www.ntpf.ie
- About the Private Hospitals Association
- The Private Hospital Association represents 19 acute medical and mental health hospitals across Ireland. Member hospitals provide almost 1 million bed nights a year, employ over 8,000 staff and work with over 800 medical consultants. More information is available at privatehospitals.ie