Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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659. To ask the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be referred for treatment under the treatment purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23354/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an inpatient/day case waiting list for surgery, having been referred on to such a list following clinical assessment by a consultant/specialist at an outpatient clinic.

The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF treatment, it is solely on the basis of their time spent on the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List. The clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital.

In respect of the patient's appointment at Cork University Hospital, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.