Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Health

Nursing Homes Support Scheme

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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505. To ask the Minister for Health to immediately publish the up-to-date fees paid to the Health Service Executive's nursing homes for nursing home care; the reason private and voluntary nursing homes have their fees published on an ongoing and continuous basis but the agency's homes do not; if he is aware that it is over five years since the updated fees for the agency's nursing homes have been published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11746/16]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The legislation underpinning the Nursing Homes Support Scheme requires each private nursing home to negotiate and agree a price for long-term residential care services with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) should they wish to be an approved nursing home for the purposes of the Scheme. Section 41 of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 provides that the NTPF shall notify the HSE of cost of care arrangements. The HSE may then publish such information relating to those arrangements as it considers appropriate.

In negotiating with nursing homes the NTPF has regard to:

- Costs reasonably and prudently incurred by the nursing home and evidence of value for money;

- Price(s) previously charged;

- Local market price; and

- Budgetary constraints and the obligation on the State to use available resources in the most beneficial, effective and efficient manner to improve, promote and protect the health and welfare of the public.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme covers the cost of the standard components of residential care which are:

- Nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person;

- Bed and board;

- Basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of everyday living; and

- Laundry service.

In relation to the cost of care in public residential facilities, Section 33(2) of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 provides for the HSE to charge for the cost of care in long-term residential care settings. The components that make up the cost of care are laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

It should be noted that more complex and highly dependent residents are catered for by the public system whereby private nursing homes may not have the available skillset and multidisciplinary personnel to cater for such complex needs. In addition, conditions of employment and tenure differ between private and public residential care facilities.

It is important that public facilities operate as efficiently and economically as possible, and towards that end the HSE is already engaged in a comprehensive exercise to review and streamline the operation and cost structures of public facilities. The Department of Health will conduct a Value for Money Review of public nursing home costs to identify more fully the factors that may be increasing costs and any areas that require correction.

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