The chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland is calling on the Government to introduce a supplementary payment for the sector in light of the decision by a leading insurer to stop offering liability cover to businesses.

With weeks to run to peak flu season, hospitals are in the grip of a system-wide crisis as the nation’s emergency departments (ED) plunge deeper into chaos.

A long-awaited pricing review looking at the fee structure within the nursing home sector is finally set to be published.

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) undertook the survey on foot of a “high number” of calls from members and the general public regarding delays in accessing both Fair Deal and transitional care funding support.

Less than a quarter of all nursing homes inspected last year were fully compliant with regulations and half of those run by the HSE were failing to provide evidence of garda vetting of staff, with health watchdog HIQA claiming the findings showed the case for higher safeguarding standards in the sector.

A radical overhaul of the fees system for the nursing home sector will see residents charged according to their needs and the type of care facility for the first time.

The plan supports people who need to pay for residential care, with participants contributing to the cost based on means, and the State paying the balance.

The body representing nursing homes is warning policymakers that changes are required to meet the needs of the country’s aging population, and has increased its lobbying of TDs for measures it wants to be implemented.

A review of how the National Treatment Purchase Fund negotiates prices with private and voluntary nursing homes under the Fair Deal scheme is almost complete.