Paul Bradford
Question:408 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive maximum nursing home subvention; and if enhancement can also be arranged. [26397/01]
Written Answers. - Nursing Home Subventions.
Paul Bradford
Question:409 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Health and Children when enhanced nursing home subvention for a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be arranged. [26398/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 408 and 409 together.
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 and £150 – 114.28, 152.37 and 190.46 – in accordance with three levels of dependency, medium, high and maximum, which are eligible for subvention.
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 Homes (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 and taking account of the fact that such enhanced payments are discretionary. This is in keeping with the provisions of the Health (Amendment) (No. 3) Act, 1996.
In relation to the particular cases mentioned by the Deputy, I have asked the chief executive officer of the Southern Health Board to examine them as a matter of urgency and respond directly to the Deputy.