Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1029. To ask the Minister for Health if there is a process through which people can apply for funding from the HSE in order to obtain medical treatment from private hospitals in which the HSE cannot provide the treatment required in a timely manner; and if so, if he will provide the information for same. [54629/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to access to treatment in Private Hospitals within the State for public hospital patients, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) works with public hospitals, rather than individual patients, to offer and provide funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients on an inpatient or day case waiting list.

The clinical suitability of a patient to avail of NTPF funded surgery or procedures is determined by the public hospital where the patient is on an Inpatient or Daycase waiting list.

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.