Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will review the operation of the National Treatment Purchase Fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25736/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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To date the NTPF has successfully provided over 170,000 public patients with inpatient procedures, outpatient appointments and MRIs. The median waiting time for medical and surgical patients is now 2.5 months. The Fund's 2010 activity targets involve treating 20,000 inpatients and providing 3,000 MRIs and 8,000 outpatient appointments and it anticipates meeting these targets. At my request, and given its success in reducing the numbers waiting for longer than twelve months, the NTPF is working actively with the HSE to focus particularly on patients waiting more than nine months for treatment.

I have no plans to review the NTPF's statutory remit. Its operation is subject to ongoing monitoring and review, to ensure that resources are used efficiently and are targeted so that they achieve the greatest benefit for patients. I have emphasised to the Fund the need for maximum cost-effectiveness, consistent with safe and effective care. I have asked it to seek even better value from private hospitals and the Fund has successfully negotiated price reductions for certain high-volume procedures. In addition, it will not purchase services where the price is not acceptable. The Comptroller and Auditor General's Report for 2008 examined the NTPF's arrangements for the procurement of treatment. The Report concluded that, relative to the casemix benchmark, procedures purchased from private hospitals by the NTPF generally cost less than those carried out in the publicly funded hospital system.