Written answers

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Department of Health

National Treatment Purchase Fund Issues

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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203. To ask the Minister for Health if he will expand the remit of the National Treatment Purchase Fund to primary care and disability services for the purposes of external review of waiting list management, establishment of maximum waiting time guarantees for key therapies for those with diagnosed disability and to provide access to the innovation and development hub to properly inform performance improvement within primary care and disability services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20531/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) was established under the National Treatment Purchase Fund Board (Establishment) Order, 2004, S.I. No. 179 of 2004. Without prejudice to section 52 of the Health Act, 1970, the functions of the Board, as set out in section 4(1) of that S.I. are as follows:

a) to make arrangements with persons, whether resident in the State or elsewhere, for the provision of hospital treatment to such classes of persons as may be determined by the Minister, from time to time;

b) to collect, collate and validate information in relation to persons waiting for hospital treatment and to put in place information systems and procedures for that purpose;

c) to furnish whenever it is so required by the Minister or on its own initiative, advice to the Minister on issues relating to its functions under this Article;

d) to perform any other function in relation to the purchase of hospital treatment that the Minister may from time to time assign to it.

Over the past number of years, the NTPF has evolved from the procurement of treatment for patients to supporting the Special Delivery Unit in the management of issues relating to scheduled care and outpatient attendances. This work is intended to assist in enabling acute hospitals to provide services in a well-planned manner in order to deliver uniformly high standards of clinical care for patients. There are no current plans to extend the function of the NTPF beyond the remit of hospital treatment. Under (d) above, the Minister has assigned responsibility to the NTPF to:

- develop a national waiting list register;

- develop and implement schemes to enable gradual reduction in maximum outpatient first appointment times;

- support measures to facilitate improved patient experience times and performance in hospital emergency departments through targeted programmes of support.

This work is being done in close co-operation with the SDU, to support their focus on unblocking access to acute services by improving the flow of patients through the system, and by streamlining waiting lists, including referrals from GPs. The NTPF also carries out a function in relation to the pricing and inspection of the Nursing Home Subvention Scheme (‘Fair Deal’). As the Deputy is aware, the Government committed to reform the structures of the health system in ‘Future Health – A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Services 2012 – 2015’. My Department is currently working on legislation to put these new structures in place and the role and functions of the NTPF will be considered as part of this work.

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