Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:281. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of subsidies paid to the private hospital network. [27803/20]
View answerThursday, 1 October 2020
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In anticipation of the projected surge in Covid-19 cases and the expected impact on the health care system a major part of the response was to urgently ramp up capacity for acute hospital care facilities. A critical element of the strategy was to put in place an arrangement with the private hospitals to use their facilities as part of the public system, to provide essential acute hospital services for the duration of the emergency. Following negotiations with the Private Hospitals Association an overarching agreement with the 18 private acute hospitals was agreed at the end of March. Under the agreement, the HSE secured 100% of the capacity of the private hospitals until the end of June. Initial indications are that the costs arising from this agreement will be in the region of €305 million euros (subject to verification).
Following termination of the agreement the Government mandated the HSE to seek to agree, with the private hospitals on a new arrangement which would provide the HSE with full access to private hospital capacity in the event of a surge of Covid-19 cases and separately with ongoing agreed access, in conjunction with the National Treatment Purchase Fund, to private hospital services to address the HSE's priority needs in providing both essential care and addressing elective care for public patients experiencing delays. The negotiations in the event of a surge are ongoing.
In August the HSE initiated a procurement process to secure access to additional acute services and diagnostic capacity from private providers which is required to address anticipated shortfalls over the next two years. Tenders have been received and are currently being evaluated by the HSE. In the meantime, the Department has approved a HSE temporary arrangement for the treatment of patients in private hospitals pending the finalisation of the national procurement process. Funding of up to €25 m has been sanctioned for this purpose.