Written answers

Thursday, 11 February 2010

Department of Health and Children

Hospital Services

5:00 pm

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

Question 59: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if there is resolution to the problem of reclaiming funds for public hospitals in relation to beds designated for public patients being used privately; if there is an issue of a high proportion of the beds designated for private patients in public hospitals being used for elective procedures as opposed to accident and emergency admissions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6979/10]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government's policy is to achieve fair access by patients to publicly-funded hospital capacity based on clinical need. While patients may be treated in public hospitals on a private basis, the primary role of the public hospital system is to provide services for public patients. All persons ordinarily resident in Ireland have full eligibility for hospital services, meaning that there is universal access to public hospital care. The fact that a person may have private health insurance does not take away from his/her eligibility for services as a public patient. Care is needed to ensure that a perceived need to generate income does not operate to the detriment of service provision to public patients. The primary objective must be to ensure that the level of private practice within public hospitals does not exceed the permitted ratio and, subject to that being achieved, to recover whatever income is due in respect of that level of private practice.

The new consultants' contract includes new measures designed to improve the management and control of public-private mix in hospitals - for example, through the operation of one-for-all outpatient and ambulatory diagnostic clinics, a key entry point to hospital care. There are also clear new rules on the operation of consultants' public-private mix and the newly appointed clinical directors have a key role in this regard. These contractual features complement existing bed designation rules.

Bed designation was introduced as part of the mechanism to control the level of private activity in publicly funded hospitals and to help ensure equitable access for public patients. Under the Health (In-Patient) Regulations 1991, beds in public hospitals are categorised as public, private or non-designated. Under these Regulations no private patient being admitted electively may be accommodated in a designated public bed. Similarly no private patient admitted as an emergency may be accommodated in a designated public bed unless (and only for such time as) a designated private bed is not available. The Regulations contain reciprocal provisions regarding the accommodation of public patients in beds designated as private. Taken together these measures will improve the management of public-private mix and support the achievement of Government policy on fair access for public patients.

With the support of my Department, the HSE is working to improve business processes for collecting outstanding debts due from private health insurers in respect of patients using private facilities in public hospitals. The VHI agreed to make a payment to the HSE of €50m towards outstanding debts. This payment was made in December 2009. This was in response to an initiative that I undertook to enable the HSE to implement its National Service Plan for 2009. The HSE has also drawn up proposals for centralising the management of patient debts and other income. I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy in relation to the detailed matter raised in relation to admissions to private beds.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.