As indicated in the Government's health strategy, Quality and Fairness, measures being taken in regard to addressing equity and mix between public and private care include: setting targets for waiting times for public patients and facilitating treatment for those patients waiting longest under the national treatment purchase fund; providing that additional bed capacity should be for public patients; ensuring greater equity for public patients as part of any revised contract for hospital consultants; and reviewing current arrangements regarding access of patients to public beds.
I am committed to ensuring that private practice within public hospitals will not be at the expense of fair access for public patients and I assure the Deputy that in the context of the ongoing health reform programme every opportunity will be taken to reinforce the application of this principle in the health system.