Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 December 2012
187. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which patient numbers in public and private hospitals continue to be monitored with a view to ensuring that the public hospital system is not used as a means of direct or indirect support to the private area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57317/12]
View answerWith regard to patient numbers in public hospitals, data is collected on each in-patient and daycase discharge from the public hospital system. With regard to patient numbers in the private system, the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) collects and publishes data on private hospital activity; note that this is survey data.
With regard to the issue of direct or indirect support from public hospitals to private hospitals, if the Deputy wishes to raise a particular issue in this regard I will be happy to address it.
