Vol. 511 No. 2
94 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if the charges for attendance at casualty in a public ward bed, a semi-private bed, a private bed, and in day care are being changed in the context of the Estimates; if so, the charges which will apply; when the new charges will come into operation during 2000; and if the public ward charge will fall to be paid along with private or semi-private care. [23927/99]
I propose to increase the maintenance charges for private and semi-private care, the accident and emergency charge and the in-patient charge. These increases, which will come into effect on 1 January 2000, were decided in the context of the Estimates.
The charge in respect of private and semi-private rooms in public hospitals is being increased by 7%. The new levels for 2000 are set out in the following table and will, as in previous years, be additional to the public hospital statutory in-patient charge. The in-patient charge is being increased by £1 to £26 per overnight or day case and the maximum payment in any 12 month period is being increased from £250 to £260. In addition, the accident and emergency charge is being increased by £5 to £25. This charge is levied only on persons who attend at accident and emergency departments without referral from their GP and is levied only for the first visit in any episode of care.
The latter two public hospital statutory charges are based on the principle that those who can afford to do so are required to make a contribution towards the cost of providing hospital services. There are a number of exemptions to the charge, including medical card holders, women receiving services in respect of motherhood, children up to the age of six weeks and children referred for treatment from child health clinics and school health examinations. Also exempt from the statutory charges, in respect of treatment for the particular condition, are children suffering from prescribed diseases and disabilities, that is, mental handicap, mental illness, phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, haemophilia and cerebral palsy. Where the exemptions do not apply the charge may be waived if, in the opinion of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board, payment would cause undue hardship.
Charges in Public Hospitals*
Revised charges per day as from 1 January 2000
|
Hospital Category |
PrivateAccommodation |
Semi-PrivateAccommodation |
Day-care |
|
Health Board Regional Hospitals/Voluntary and Joint Board Teaching Hospitals |
£183 (£171) |
£143 (£134) |
£131 (£122) |
|
Health Board County Hospitals/Voluntary Non-Teaching Hospitals |
£151 (£141) |
£122 (£114) |
£109 (£102) |
|
Health Board District Hospitals |
£94 (£88) |
£81 (£76) |
£70 (£65) |
