Paul Bradford
Question:150 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide details of the enhanced nursing home subvention; and when the subvention will be introduced in the Southern Health Board region. [24774/01]
Written Answers. - Nursing Home Subventions.
The Nursing Homes (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, are administered by the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority. There are currently three maximum rates of subvention payable – £90, £120, £150 – 114.28, 152.37, 190.46 – in accordance with three levels of dependency, medium, high, maximum, which are eligible for subvention. The new rates represent a 25% increase, and were introduced on 1 April last.
A health board may pay more than the maximum rate of subvention relative to an individual's level of dependency, for example, in cases where personal funds are exhausted. Articles 22.3 and 22.4 of the Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, permit health boards to contract beds in private nursing homes and to pay more than the maximum rates of subvention in such cases. However, the application of these provisions is a matter for the individual health board concerned in the context of meeting increasing demands for subventions within the board's revenue allocation as notified annually in the letters of determination. This is in keeping with the provisions of the Health (Amendment) (No. 3) Act, 1996.
The Southern Health Board has received a significantly increased number of claims from patients for enhanced payments in accordance with Articles 22.3 and 22.4. It is a matter for the board to determine the extent to which it can meet such claims consistent with its requirement to live within its overall revenue allocation and taking account of the fact that such enhanced payments are discretionary. However, in the interest of avoiding hardship to individual patients, my Department has been in regular contact with the board in an effort to find a solution which would take cognisance of the considerations outlined above. A solution has been found to meet the most immediate individual problems
and discussions are continuing in an effort to reach agreement on a more long-term approach to the issue.