Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2017
578. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the policy regarding the costs charged to persons for use of a hospital bed who are ready for discharge but who are awaiting a nursing home place in HSE hospitals and Tallaght Hospital; his views on whether these charges are fair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9887/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraStatutory acute in-patient charges apply when a patient is admitted to a hospital under the terms of Section 53(C) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended) and cease under the terms of the same section of the 1970 Act (as amended). The circumstances where the statutory in-patient charges cease are where the patient is either, "(i) upon a registered medical practitioner having the authority to make such a decision in the hospital concerned determining that the person concerned no longer requires acute in-patient care, or (ii) where the person is otherwise discharged as a patient from the hospital." In these circumstances, the hospital may make charges under Section 53(A) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). Section 53(A) of the Health Act 1970 allows an acute hospital to charge a patient who no longer requires medically acute care the average cost of public long term residential care.
In relation to the specific query on hospital charges raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
