Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 582: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the necessary funding will be made available to allow Valentia Community Hospital, County Kerry, to serve the needs of the island and the Iveragh Peninsula in the same way as it has done for the past 140 years. [9273/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Valentia Community Hospital provides long-term and respite care to older people. It is run by a voluntary organisation, Valentia Community Health and Welfare Association Ltd.

In the past, Valentia Community Hospital would have been allocated a lump sum annually by the HSE. As you are aware, the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, A Fair Deal, was introduced in October 2009 in order to address the fundamental inequity in the treatment of public and private long-term nursing home residents and to alleviate the financial hardship being experienced by long-term residents in private nursing homes.

Prior to the introduction of the Fair Deal scheme, many people in long-term nursing home care experienced unaffordable care costs over periods of many years. The result was that many people had to sell or re-mortgage their houses or had to turn to family and friends in order to find the money to meet their care costs.

A fundamental purpose of the scheme, therefore, was to offer assurance to one of the most vulnerable groups in society – those in need of long-term nursing home care – that such care will be affordable and will remain affordable for as long as they need it.

In order to achieve these objectives of equity and affordability, Fair Deal involves a fundamental change in the way in which long-term nursing home care is funded and, consequently, the way in which nursing homes and community hospitals are funded.

The new scheme supports the individuals in need of long-term nursing home care, not the facilities providing the care. This means that money follows the patients, regardless of whether they choose public, private or voluntary nursing homes. It ensures that these facilities are not being funded for empty beds.

In order to qualify for the scheme, all private and voluntary nursing homes, including Valentia Community Hospital, must negotiate and agree a price for the cost of care with the National Treatment Purchase Fund. This is a necessary feature of the scheme due to the commitment by the State to meet the full balance of the cost of care over and above a person's contribution.

As stated above, the Nursing Homes Support Scheme only applies to long-term nursing home care. Valentia Community Hospital can continue to have separate agreements with the HSE for the provision of other services, e.g. day care, respite and convalescence. There are ongoing discussions between the Board of Management of Valentia Community Health and Welfare Association Ltd. and the HSE with regards to future service provision. I understand that the Board of Management is currently considering its options and will be supported by the HSE in its decisions.

Finally, the Government is committed to implementing a comprehensive programme of health reform. The aim of this reform process is to deliver a single-tier health service that will deliver equal access to care based on need, not income. The detailed implementation arrangements will be subject to careful examination and I intend to consult widely throughout this process. The Government has set clear goals for the health service, namely: - a universal health care system with access based upon need, - more care delivered locally through strengthened primary care, and - greater transparency and incentives regarding performance.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme will be considered in the context of the overall reforms currently being contemplated. In the meantime, the scheme will continue to apply to long-term nursing home care and, consequently, money will follow the patients.