Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2019
713. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if sufficient funding will be made available to a community hospital (details supplied) to ensure it is in compliance with HIQA requirements. [24312/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.
The legislation underpinning the NHSS requires each private or voluntary nursing home to negotiate and agree a price for long-term residential care services with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) should they wish to be an approved nursing home for the purposes of the Scheme. The NTPF negotiates with proprietors of registered nursing homes to reach agreement in relation to the maximum price that will be charged by each nursing home for the provision of long-term residential care services to residents participating in the NHSS. The process of setting prices with individual private and voluntary nursing homes is commonly referred to as the NTPF pricing mechanism.
Cobh Community Hospital is not funded directly by the HSE as they receive their agreed NTPF rate through this pricing mechanism, under NHSS. The NTPF has statutory independence in the performance of its function and negotiates with each nursing home on an individual basis. The Department of Health has no role in these negotiations.
