HSE hits back at O’Malley’s attack

EMBATTLED Junior Health Minister Tim O’Malley was last night embroiled in another health row on his own political doorstep in Limerick.

Mr O’Malley had launched a stinging attack on the Midwestern Regional Hospital over its low take-up rate for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). The scheme was introduced to cut waiting lists for hospital procedures by getting patients treated in outside facilities.

Mr O’Malley said he was profoundly concerned at the low number of patients referred to the NTPF by the Midwestern Regional Hospital.

However, furious medical personnel at the hospital hit back at Mr O’Malley and pointed out that the reason for their low usage of the NTPF was due to the fact that the hospital manages its waiting lists more successfully than any other in the country.

Politically, this is a very serious situation for Mr O’Malley whose political base is in the Dooradoyle area of Limerick city where hundreds of hospital workers reside.

Mr O’Malley said that University College Hospital in Galway this year so far had referred 2,090 patients for treatment to the TBPF. He pointed out that the corresponding number of patients treated under the fund having being referred by the Midwestern Regional Hospital was just 250.

Mr O’Malley said: “When referrals from the Midwestern Regional Hospital are compared with referrals to the NTPF from other similar-sized hospitals around the country, there can be little doubt that the people of Limerick are losing out through not being referred by their local hospital.

“Questions have to be asked, and I will not allow my constituents to be treated so casually by any sector of the health service for any reason.”

He said he wanted the Health Service Executive midwestern area to explain why their hospital figures are so grossly under-represented.

Mr O’Malley said the Government could not tolerate a situation where some elements in the hospital service were deliberately not availing of all options for patients. Mr O’Malley alleged that “prejudices and ideological” factors were at play.

However, the HSE MidWest hit back at Mr O’Malley and accused him of not having a clear picture of what was happening in the midwest.

A spokesman for the HSE Mid-West said they were one of the best performing areas in the country with regard to the Waiting List Initiative which was launched to reduce waiting times at hospitals.

The spokesman said, “the success has had the effect of reducing the number of patients who are eligible for treatment under the terms of the NTPF.”

To date, a total of 1,980 patients on the waiting list in the Mid-West have been offered treatment under the initiative which commenced in 2002. Of these, 1,139 patients have been successfully treated and 386 patients had refused the offer of treatment through the NTPF.