National Treatment Purchase Fund.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 October 2004

Wednesday, 6 October 2004

Questions (145)

David Stanton

Question:

263 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if with reference to the national treatment purchase fund, there is a limit to the number of patients that can receive treatment under the fund from individual hospital waiting lists; the number of persons who have received treatment to date under the fund; the number currently awaiting treatment under the fund; the total cost of the fund to date and the projected cost for the next year; if she has plans to expand the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23761/04]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children (Ms Harney)

The national treatment purchase fund reported that as at January of this year there were some 19,500 patients who were waiting more than three months for specific, mainly surgical, procedures. The NTPF has the capacity to treat more than 1,000 patients per month or 12,000 in a full year from the funding available to it. Since it began operations the fund has been successful in locating additional capacity and arranging treatments for over 19,000 patients up to the end of September 2004. It is now the case that, in most instances, anyone waiting more than three months will be facilitated by the fund.

The cost of the national treatment purchase fund to date is as follows:

	€m
2002	5.012
2003	30.057	Provisional Outturn
2004	44.00	Allocation

The resources to be allocated for NTPF activities in 2005 and any change to the fund's remit will be considered in the context of the Estimates process.