Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 413: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 507 of 17 May 2011, the impact on the ambulance service of the introduction of a universal health insurance market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12761/11]

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

The National Ambulance Service (NAS) provides pre-hospital emergency care and emergency and some non-emergency patient transport.

Supported by my Department and by HIQA, the NAS is working to improve the management and integration of its services. This includes a reduction to two ambulance control centres nationally, with appropriate technology, a clinical lead for pre-hospital care, development and implementation of new performance indicators for pre-hospital care and development of standard national criteria in relation to non-emergency patient transport.

The NAS has undergone significant change in order to ensure quality, safety and value for money. In line with other clinical areas, this process is ongoing as clinical needs and standards develop. I believe that these developments are in the best interests of patients, and that they are a key part of the Government's work to ensure high quality emergency care.

A system of Universal Health Insurance (UHI) will be introduced by 2016, with the legislative and organisational groundwork for the system complete within the term of this Government.

Under UHI, an Exchequer-funded Hospital Insurance Fund will provide direct payments to hospitals for services not covered by insurance, such as emergency care, and will also control those health care costs for which central control is most effective. A White Paper on Financing UHI will be published early in the Government's first term and will review cost-effective pricing and funding mechanisms.

The introduction of UHI is a challenging and complex task and it will not be achieved overnight. I expect that the NAS will play a key role in the transformation of service delivery that will be required as the process evolves.