Ned O'Keeffe
Question:120 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will arrange to have a higher rate of nursing home subvention payment made to persons (details supplied) in County Cork. [31305/01]
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 – £90-114.28 – £120-152.39 – £150-190.46 – 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.
In relation to the particular case raised by the Deputy, as the provision of health services in the Cork area is a matter for the Southern Health Board, I have asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate the case and respond to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.