Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
1125. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that negotiations have broken down between the NTPF and some private nursing homes, thereby jeopardising continuing care for many residents; if there is scope for mediation or adjudication on the issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27224/23]
View answerFair Deal was designed to protect and support vulnerable older people, to ensure equal access to nursing home care based on what they could afford. This gives certainty to people and families. Government funding for Fair Deal is to support vulnerable older people at a time in their lives where full-time care is essential. It should be recognised that this is a very difficult decision for people and their families and often takes place at a time of crisis.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are the body designated, under section 40 of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009, to negotiate with persons carrying on the business of a nursing home, for the purposes of reaching an agreement on the maximum prices to be charged for nursing home care.
Private and most voluntary nursing homes agree the price that they can charge for a Fair Deal resident with the designated State agency, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). Maximum prices for individual nursing homes are agreed with the NTPF following negotiations and based on the NTPF’s cost criteria such as costs reasonably incurred by the nursing home, local market prices, historic prices and overall budgetary capacity.
The NTPF has statutory independence, and there is no role for Ministers or the Department of Health in negotiations with individual nursing homes.
Where, notwithstanding the best efforts of both parties, agreement is not reached through negotiation, the Account Manager assigned by the NTPF will advise the nursing home in writing that negotiations have concluded without agreement.
The Account Manager will set out the final offer proposed and will explain the legal implications of the failure to come to an agreement on price. All final offers are reviewed and signed off on by the Director of Finance.
The Account Manager will also inform the nursing home that it is open to it to request a review of the Final Offer, and will set out the procedure to be followed for such a review.
The details of the review process can be accessed on the NTPF website by following this link: www.ntpf.ie/home/nhss.htm
Apart from those engagements reported in the media recently, I am not aware of any negotiations between nursing homes and the NTPF that have failed to reach a conclusion.
I cannot comment on individual NTPF negotiations and it must be appreciated that this is a matter for the each individual nursing home and the NTPF.
Nevertheless, it is imperative that private and voluntary providers continue to engage in the process as set out in the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009. There is no other mechanism for funding from the public purse for nursing home residents outside the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Fair Deal).
