New private hospitals ‘must be adjacent to public facilities’

A GOVERNMENT report has recommended that all new private hospitals should be located adjacent to existing public hospitals in order to combine resources for the benefit of public and private patients.

The recommendation is contained in a policy statement - the first of its kind on private hospitals - which has been finalised by Tánaiste Mary Harney. It will be published shortly.

Junior Health Minister Tim O’Malley said, up to now, there was no government policy on the development of the private hospital sector. “The Tánaiste and I agree new private hospitals should be located near existing public hospitals. For instance, there are a number of parties interested in opening a private hospital in Limerick and we want it located on the campus of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle, so as to bring in new services and avoid duplication.”

The University of Limerick campus was being promoted as a location for a private hospital to complement the new health faculty at the university.

Mr O’Malley said the Tánaiste has finalised a policy document on the future location of private hospitals. He said a number of different health groups are very interested in building a private hospital in Limerick, but are waiting to see what the Government policy document contains. “Obviously no private hospital, which could cost up to €100m, wants to start off doing something against the wishes of the Government.”

He said the policy document will make it much easier for private groups to focus on new private hospital projects in various locations around the country.

Building private hospitals on the grounds of existing public hospitals, he said, would have many advantages to both public and private patients. “It would encourage public and private hospitals to work with each other rather than against each other for the benefit of the patients. It would also save unnecessary waste of resources. In Limerick it will enable new facilities not in place at Dooradoyle to be introduced there in the private hospital, such as more cardiac, dermatology, cancer services.”

Mr O’Malley said a new private hospital in Dooradoyle would also mean extra beds. “A private hospital will help public medical card patients because many private patients who at present go to the public hospital, would go to the private hospital and this will make it easier for public patients to get a bed in Dooradoyle.”

He said services for public patients could also be obtained in the private hospital through the treatment purchase scheme. “This would mean that public patients will be able to get their treatment under this scheme in Limerick, without having to travel elsewhere.”