Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Feb 2003

Vol. 562 No. 2

Written Answers - Hospital Services.

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

199 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person who attends a consultant in a private clinic attached to an acute public hospital and who requires an immediate blood test in that hospital, is required to pay for this test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5719/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Under arrangements for public hospital services introduced in June 1991 on foot of the Health (Amendment) Act 1991, everyone, regardless of income, is entitled to public hospital and public consultant services subject only to modest statutory charges from which medical card holders are exempt.

In relation to each clinical consultation private patients attending public hospitals are liable for consultants fees, any appropriate accommodation charges and also to the statutory charges once they explicitly exercise their option to be treated as a private patient. Any patient, whether a medical card holder or not, who opts for treatment in a private hospital or as a private patient in a public hospital is liable for the costs relating to such treatment. The requirement that patients make an explicit choice between public and private health care was recommended by the 1989 Commission on Health Funding on the grounds of equity.