Vol. 559 No. 1
323 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health and Children the details of the national treatment purchase fund; the procedures in place for someone on a waiting list to apply for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25644/02]
Arising from the health strategy, "Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You", one of the key actions for dealing with the public hospital waiting lists was the establishment of the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF. The NTPF was set up in April and referred its first patients for treatment at the end of June.
Health boards and hospitals have been asked to identify public hospital patients waiting longest on in-patient lists so that they can be offered treatment under this initiative. The NTPF is initially concentrating on adults who have been waiting on in-patient lists over 12 months and children waiting over six months. Public patients, who satisfy this criteria, can apply to their GP, hospital consultant or to their local health board liaison officer to seek to have their treatment carried out under the NTPF. The patient's consent to being treated under this scheme is also sought. Capacity is sourced by the NTPF and patients are referred for treatment. To date capacity has been sourced in private hospitals in Ireland, Northern Ireland and in England. In the current year the NTPF expects to treat up to 2,000 patients and from January 2003 it expects to refer 600 patients per month for treatment.
The national treatment purchase fund has launched a national lo-call number 1890-720-820. Calls from anywhere in Ireland are charged at the local rate. The public, who requires information, is encouraged to ring this number and its queries will be answered.
