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Primary Care Reimbursement Service Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2013

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Questions (1059)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

1059. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made with the programme for Government commitment to establish a primary care fund to pay providers of primary care [45882/13]

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Written answers

The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2013 sets out the funding allocations for this year by care group programme. It includes provision of €2,562 million in respect of the Primary Care Reimbursement Service and €400 million for Primary Care services. This is an increase of 1.7% and 7.6% respectively on the 2012 figures. Successful transformation of our health services requires a corresponding transformation of our funding model. The first stage in transforming our funding model is to clarify funding streams through the creation of directorates and corresponding programme based budgets. As part of this process, a Primary Care Directorate was established within the HSE. This directorate will oversee the development and strengthening of primary care.

Based on the recommendations of the reviews of financial management systems in the health service, the HSE established a Finance Reform Programme in November 2012. Central to the establishment of this programme was the recognition that successful implementation of the Government’s Future Health reform agenda will require a fundamental change in the way financial management is delivered across the health system in Ireland. The Finance Reform Programme is overseen by the Finance Reform Board, chaired by the Director General of the Health Service and has representation from the HSE Senior Leadership Team, the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

The most recent meeting of the Finance Reform Board was held on 9 September 2013 and endorsed the output from Phase 1 of the Finance Reform Programme. The process for planning for Phase 2 of the Finance Reform Programme is currently underway which will include finalising the business case for the implementation of a unified financial system for the health services. It is clear that the new requirements from Future Health cannot be delivered within the current arrangements, and that a new operating model for finance is essential to build the foundations for System Reform.

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