Seanad debates

Thursday, 22 March 2018

10:30 am

Photo of Colm BurkeColm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important that the taxpayers realise what is happening. It is costing the HSE €35 per hour to provide home care per hour per patient. There is now a policy in the HSE of stopping people from the private sector without any cost analysis of what it is costing the taxpayer to provide that home care. I am seriously concerned about that. I can give another example relating to the cost of home care. I am aware of a situation where two new nursing homes were built by the HSE. One is being run by the private sector and the other is being run by the HSE. It costs €911 per bed per week in the home run by the private sector, while the cost in the home run by the HSE is more than €1,500 per bed per week. That is the difference. While people may criticise the private sector, it is providing and delivering the services.

I am worried about what is happening with the provision of home care. No cost analysis has been produced by the HSE about the provision and it is also directing the private providers to only provide a half hour of care when people want an hour.Client-directed care is not being sufficiently advertised. The HSE pays for the cost of this form of care, but the client, rather than the HSE, decides when - that is, at what time - the care is required. I think we need to review this. I also think there is a need for a cost-benefit analysis of the provision of home care by the HSE.

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