The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all people ordinarily resident in the country are entitled, subject to certain charges, to public inpatient hospital services including consultant services and to public outpatient hospital services. Under s52 of the Health Act 1970, as amended by s12 of the Health (Amendment) Act 2013, a person who has been referred to a hospital for an in-patient service, including that provided on a day case basis, will have to pay the statutory daily charge, currently €80 per day, up to a maximum of €800 per year. On this basis, where venesection is classed as a day case procedure and is not carried out in an outpatient setting, the public in-patient charge applies.
The provision of therapeutic venesection services for medical and GP visit card holders is being considered as part of the consultations with GP representatives on the GMS Contract. Officials from my Department and the HSE met with the Irish Medical Organisation during May in order to progress this agenda. In line with the long established approach to such processes, and by agreement with the parties concerned, I am not in position to provide further details while these discussions are under way.
My Department and the HSE are currently considering the issue of the application of the public in-patient charge of €80 for venesection in Acute Hospitals as well as broader issues in relation to the treatment of patients with Hereditary Haemochromatosis. In this context, a meeting involving representatives from the Department of Health and the HSE will be held shortly.
