Dáil debates

Wednesday, 1 February 2017

Other Questions

National Treatment Purchase Fund Data

3:15 pm

Photo of Jonathan O'BrienJonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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36. To ask the Minister for Health if the relaunched NTPF will provide data relating to the number, type and value of services and surgeries commissioned from the private sector; the cost and savings to the State of services and surgeries carried out by the private sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4566/17]

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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As in the case of all my questions today, this question is self-explanatory. It relates to data from the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. The Committee on the Future of Healthcare has met a number of different organisations on this issue. It appears there is a difficulty in terms of extracting information from the private sector. The private sector not being my first choice for investment and the Minister having chosen to spend taxpayers' money in that area I am interested in hearing if he can provide the information requested.

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy would be upset if we went through an entire Question Time where we agreed on everything. We had better not do that. We have a difference of opinion in regard to the NTPF. I believe it to be an effective vehicle to reduce waiting times for patients and the Deputy believes differently, as is her right.

Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. All NTPF initiatives include procedures to report on the type, nature and cost of treatments commissioned, including controls to ensure quality patient treatment, value for money and efficient processes. The Committee of Public Accounts also examined this matter in the past. My Department will also implement a robust monitoring framework in this regard.

In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5 million to a day case waiting list initiative, with the aim of ensuring that no patient will be waiting more than 18 months for a day case procedure by 30 June 2017. Around 3,000 day cases will be managed through this process and outsourcing of treatment will commence shortly.

In addition to this day case initiative, the NTPF will be working closely with my Department and the HSE to agree an approach to the remaining 2017 allocation, as well as planning the approach for the significant increase in the allocation to address longest waiting times in 2018.

The HSE is currently developing a 2017 waiting list action plan for inpatient day case procedures to ensure that no patient is waiting more than 15 months by the end of October for an inpatient day case procedure or an outpatient appointment. This plan is being developed in conjunction with the NTPF's proposal for utilisation of its remaining €10 million funding for patient treatment in 2017. A similar plan is being developed for outpatient appointments. I expect to make known the details of both plans in the coming weeks. If there is specific information that the Deputy requires I would be happy to share it with her.

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister is aware of my view on this matter but I will repeat it. We will never improve the public health service by investing in the private sector, regardless of how many times we do it. The Minister can cross his fingers and wish really hard but it is not going to happen. We will agree to disagree on that point.

The Minister referenced a monitoring framework. Who will monitor this initiative? As I said earlier, the Committee on the Future of Healthcare has had discussions with the ESRI and other agencies on this issue, all of which said that it is difficult to extract information from the private sector for reasons of, as they put it, "commercial sensitivity", for which I have another term, although I do not propose to repeat here. Perhaps the Minister will outline who will be involved in the monitoring framework and if it will be required to achieve targets on behalf of the public purse. Again, I do not believe this initiative is good value for money. However, we will agree to disagree in that regard also.

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I do not believe that we should invest in the private health service instead of the public health service. However, the man who is waiting for a hip operation does not care how we get his operation done. He just wants to know what I am doing to do to ensure he does not have to wait longer. While we build up capacity in the public health service we will use the NTPF as a vehicle.

That is the ideological point on which we disagree. I will write to the Deputy with exact details on the monitoring framework within my Department. It is being put in place within the acute hospitals policy division of the Department.

I am not sure I agree in regard to the lack of specificity in respect of the NTPF. In my meetings with the NTPF, I noted it can tell one what one cannot always easily ascertain when one engages with a public hospital, that is, that in return for an investment of X, one secures Y amount of procedures by a certain date. I am happy to engage further with the Deputy, however, and I will write to her on it.

Written Answers follow Adjournment.