Private patients can expect to pay more, says Harney

PRIVATE patients being accommodated in the 2,500 private beds in the nation’s public hospitals can expect to pay more in the not-too-distant future for their stay, Tánaiste and Health Minster Mary Harney last night said.

Taxpayer resources have to be used as wisely as possible, and they can no longer be used to make up the shortfall in costs in the healthcare system she said.

“There are 2,500 private beds in public hospitals. We have to ask ourselves is there a better way of providing those private beds than having them funded through the public hospital system?