Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I believe elective-only hospitals are the way to go and could have a real impact, as I know the Deputy does. We have seen this used in Scotland with very significant success. Scotland had very long waiting times and managed to reduce that substantially by purchasing what, ironically, was a former private hospital and turning it into an elective-only hospital. I have funding to deliver elective-only hospitals and that is a priority. I will keep the House updated in that regard.

The funding that is used by the NTPF to insource is ring-fenced. The NTPF has to satisfy itself that the HSE and the individual hospitals are going to spend that on providing the additionality in terms of procedures that they have agreed to, and the waiting list plan I published last week has outlined that.

The Deputy has rightly highlighted on a number of occasions the question of how we monitor and oversee hospital consultants' contracts, an issue on which we engaged here and at the Oireachtas health committee. My Department is working closely with the HSE to find a solution to ensure compliance is monitored more effectively. The engagement commenced last July. On 11 January of this year the Secretary General reinforced the point to the HSE that a key requirement is for a governance framework and a reporting and monitoring arrangement. The HSE responded on 12 February, outlining the arrangements it proposed to meet the Secretary General's requirements. These include monthly monitoring at hospital level of performance at individual consultant level, with appropriate actions to be taken where required. At a meeting with my Department on 23 March the HSE confirmed it would incorporate within the framework a map allocating additional responsibilities at each local hospital group hospital and at national level. I believe the Comptroller and Auditor General has also announced his intention to do some work in this regard, which I welcome.

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