Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 129: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the 60% increase of private maternity care to VHI over the past five years despite a decrease in maternity claims to VHI; her further views on the claims by the director of midwifery and nursing at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin that there has been no increase in the number of women choosing private or semi-private care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15466/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The vast majority of women having babies in this country do so in public hospitals. Over half of the female population has private health insurance and a significant proportion of these women avail of maternity services in public hospitals. I am advised by the Health Service Executive that with regard to obstetric activity at the National Maternity Hospital, the public to private split has remained consistently at 56% public, 44% private over the past five to six years.

The cost of a private bed in most public hospitals has increased by 130% since 2001 and this would be a significant factor in the increase in costs to private health insurers. However, in the interests of equity, it is Government policy to gradually eliminate the effective subsidy for private stays in public hospital beds and relieve the taxpayer of the burden of carrying these costs. Even with these increases, the cost of providing services to private patients in the main hospitals continues to exceed the income arising from the charges.