Mr. Liam Woods:

The public system receives most of its private income through its emergency department. All patients are public until they declare themselves otherwise. It is a matter for each individual to determine whether he or she wishes to use insurance or not when he or she attends a public hospital. That is a choice. Since the 2013 amendments to the legislation, the hospitals can bill privately for all beds that patients are treated in. Prior to that it was only for beds that were designated and there was a process under the 1991 Health (Amendment) Act for that. In reality, the hospital is not in significant control of the income it receives. It is based on an election under the Health Act 1970 by an individual citizen, not the hospital. It is not a pressure on the hospital at the front door. Perhaps it might be useful to ask Ms Cowan to say one or two things about that from the hospital perspective.