Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 March 2022
192. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure the targets set in the 2022 waiting list action plan are met in view of rising Covid-19 cases and their impact on elective care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17111/22]
View answerAs a response to the recent surge in both ED attendance and COVID-19 cases the CEO of the HSE has written to the CEOs of all hospital groups advising them of the need to prioritise unscheduled COVID-19 care and urgent time sensitive work for 14-day period. The resulting curtailment of elective care (and associated staff shortages) will likely negatively impact achieving waiting list reduction targets.
The HSE has confirmed to the Department that patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
The Waiting List Task Force continues to regularly monitor the impact of COVID-19 on waiting list reduction targets. Additional capacity is being sought through the Private Hospitals to minimise the impact of the current surge on core capacity.
With the onset of the 4th wave of Covid-19 at the end of December 2021 and January 2022 the HSE with the support of the Department negotiated a new amended Agreement with the Private Hospitals to run to the end of June 2022. The new Agreement sought to draw on the lessons from the operation of Safety Nets 2 and 3.
The most significant change from the previous Safety Net Agreements was the adoption of a dual approach to obtaining access to the private hospital capacity. As with the outgoing agreement it would allow access of up to 15% or 30% of the private hospitals’ capacity depending on which metrics were met. At each level, the HSE would have the option to seek access on either a reasonable endeavours basis i.e. voluntarily, or by issuing a guaranteed capacity demand, which would require the private hospitals to provide the capacity. Under the agreement payments for capacity unused by the public system i.e. retainer payments will not be payable where the agreement is invoked on a reasonable endeavours basis but will be payable where a guaranteed capacity notice is issued.
In August 2021 the HSE established a procurement framework to allow public hospitals to access services in private hospitals. The procurement framework that was put in place sought tenders from private hospitals, based on competitive pricing, for approximately 700 types of medical and surgical procedures for adult and paediatric inpatient, day care and critical care beds. A separate procurement framework was put in place for diagnostic services. The Framework is in place for a period of 4 years.
