Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 May 2012
179 Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will request the National Treatment Purchase Fund to urgently undertake the forensic financial review of the cost of care for the section 39 funded residential units at Valentia Hospital, County Kerry, to enable him to put funding arrangements in place for this hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26049/12]
View answerThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has recently tendered for a forensic accounting service. This service is being commissioned to support the NTPF in its role of negotiating prices with private and voluntary nursing homes under Section 40 of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009.
The tender competition is still underway. The deadline for submission of tenders was the 18th May. Tenders are currently being assessed. Once the tender is completed, tasks will be assigned to the successful supplier(s). These assignments will include an assignment to provide factual input to an NTPF review of nursing homes like Valentia Hospital which, prior to the commencement of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, were funded entirely or substantially by the HSE. The NTPF anticipates, at this stage, to have substantive information for initial review by end August.
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme is designed to ensure that money follows the patients, regardless of whether they choose public, private or voluntary nursing homes, and to ensure nursing homes are not being funded for empty beds.
