Vol. 562 No. 6
67 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to redirect the ?31 million allocated for the treatment purchase fund in 2003 to assist acute hospitals with their financial difficulties following the recent announcement of cutbacks in the 2003 budgets of acute hospitals such as Beaumont and St. James's in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6745/03]
I have no plans to redirect any of the €31 million that has been provided for the national treatment purchase fund in the current year.
The NTPF identifies public 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 for surgical procedures.
To date approximately 3,000 long waiters have received treatment under the national treatment purchase fund. This achievement would not have been possible without the co-operation of hospital consultants, general practitioners, nurses and other staff with the NTPF. I am looking forward to an increase in the numbers being treated under this initiative and the specific funding is in place for this purpose.
The Eastern Regional Health Authority is currently in discussions with all providers within its region, including the major acute hospitals in the Dublin area, to finalise the level of services to be provided in 2003. It will be a matter for the authority and each of the respective hospitals to agree on any specific measures to be taken to ensure that each hospital continues to maintain a high level of service within available resources. The provider discussions are expected to conclude within the next two weeks. I have asked the ERHA to report back to my Department on the outcome.
