22,000 to avail of treatment purchase fund this year

SOME 22,000 public patients who have been on waiting lists for more than three months will be treated either at home or abroad this year, according to National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) bosses.

Their budget has increased from €64 million last year to €78m this year, allowing them to pay for the treatment of 15% more patients on waiting lists.

And there are plans to increase the number of hospitals offering care under the fund from April, increasing the numbers of hospitals registered from seven to 18.

NTPF chief executive Patrick O’Byrne said there is now absolutely no need for anyone to be waiting longer than three months for the treatment they need.

“Our aim is to get patients treated quickly, to improve their qualify of life and help them get on with their lives.

“When we started off, people were waiting three and four years, some up to seven years. There is no need for that anymore.

“Accessing the NTPF is easy. Most of the referrals we get are through the public hospitals. GPs can also contact us and an increasing number of patients are also contacting us directly,” he said.

As part of a nationwide pilot study over the past year, 17 public hospitals were contacted and 10,500 of the patients on their waiting lists were written to, offering them the services of NTPF.

Of these, 4,000 did not need or want their treatment anymore. Of those who agreed to be seen, a further 18% did not show up for their consultation.

Providing value for money under the programme is critical, he said, a factor which was also alluded to in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

“When the go into the market, we negotiate and get the best prices we can. We are very conscious of the value for money aspect. The C&AG did highlight differences in prices we pay. But cost bases in hospitals are different.

“The variations were between plus and minus 15%. We negotiate with hospitals rather than with consultants. We did bulk purchasing with some hospitals for outpatients’ procedures. And we plan to do more of this,” he added.

In most cases, hospitals are down to dealing with people who have been waiting three to six months for procedures. A further 40% of hospitals are dealing with people who have been waiting six to 12 months.

Of treatments availed of under the fund, most are ear, nose and throat procedures, ophthalmology (eye treatments) and general surgery and orthopaedics.

‘I couldn’t see the cars coming’

GRETTA FLYNN, 82, was afraid to cross the road last year, so bad was her vision.

She was almost blind from cataracts in both her eyes. She was on a waiting list at Waterford Regional Hospital for about 12 months when it was suggested she get the operation under the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).

She had the first operation on December 12 last year. She was back in hospital in Limerick on February 24 for the second operation.

Now Gretta, from Dungarvan, is planning a trip to Britain to visit her daughter, Maria, and is back reading books and the newspaper.

“The operations have made a great difference altogether. I was afraid to cross the road. I couldn’t see the cars coming. I’m not afraid anymore.

“I had cataracts for about two years. I was waiting a year to have them done before I got the surgery. My sight disimproved a lot in the 12 months I was waiting. I would encourage other people to get on the scheme straight away... I’m going over to my daughter in Britain at Easter. If I hadn’t this surgery, I wouldn’t have been able to travel.”

* Anyone on a waiting list for three months or more can contact the NTPF through their doctor or hospital or directly on 1890-720820