Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 October 2020
226. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the governance the National Treatment Purchase Fund has in place to ensure regional and geographical equity of access to services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29028/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) procures capacity for high-volume procedures in order to positively impact waiting time for patients. Such procedures may be procured in both private hospitals (outsourcing), or public hospitals (insourcing). In order to ensure competitive pricing as part of their outsourcing programme, the NTPF works with private hospitals from a panel agreement and engages in procurement processes through e-tender.
In relation to insourcing, a public hospital may have some spare capacity but require further funding in order to utilise it. Such public hospitals may make a proposal to the NTPF, whereby the NTPF pay a fixed price per procedure performed. The amount paid by the NTPF meets the extra costs incurred by the public hospital in performing the additional procedures.
The NTPF works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an inpatient/day case waiting list for surgery, having been referred on to such a list following clinical assessment by a consultant/specialist at an outpatient clinic.
The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF treatment, it is solely on the basis of their time spent on the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List. The clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital.
The availability of capacity for the specific procedure required by the patient is a factor in the selection of treatment provider, as well as the ability and willingness of the patient to travel to another hospital to avail of treatment. Patients are contacted by their referring hospital with an offer of treatment at an alternative hospital and the NTPF advises that they endeavour to accommodate patients requiring procedures in hospitals closer to home, if they are requested by the public hospital to do so.
