‘State bargain hunt could hit standards in nursing homes’

THE head of the organisation which represents most of the country’s private and voluntary nursing homes has accused the state of “bargain-hunting” from his members.

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) chief executive Tadhg Daly said new funding arrangements under the Government’s Fair Deal scheme could drive down the standards of care provided by some of his 332 members.

Mr Daly also accused the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which administers the Fair Deal scheme, of negotiating funding rates with his members that fail to value private and voluntary nursing home care at the same level as public nursing home care.