Written answers

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Department of Health

Hospital Services

Photo of John BrowneJohn Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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86. To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm whether it was planned to remove more than €7 million in funding (details supplied) from the National Cancer Control Programme earlier this year and re-direct it to hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22585/13]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The HSE Service Plan as approved by the Minister for Health on 9 January 2013 details the funding available  for all services including hospitals.  A core element of the Service Plan was ensuring that hospitals were provided with a 2013 budget which was, in so far as possible, linked to their 2012 costs in order to provide a more achievable financial challenge.  There was insufficient funding available to fully meet hospitals' 2012 cost level and therefore hospitals on average must reduce their costs in 2013 by 3.5% and must also deal with any emerging cost pressures which are not specifically funded within the 2013 Service Plan. 

As part of the allocation process outlined above, funds that were in place in hospitals for 2012 were retained in their base funding in 2013.  The Cancer Programme is substantially delivered through hospitals.  The bulk of the monies referred to in the question relate to colposcopy and colonoscopy screening monies in respect of work carried out by hospitals on behalf of the National Cancer Screening Service which is part of the National Cancer Control Programme.

Issues arising in relation to the change in the funding of hospitals in 2013 and the move away from historic incremental budgets to budgets more closely aligned to actual costs have now been clarified and the resources to deliver upon the funded cancer priorities identified within the Service Plan are in place. 

The National Cancer Control Programme is satisfied that resources required to support cancer screening and treatment programmes have been clearly aligned to NCCP priorities.

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