Tens of millions owed by HSE to patients

The HSE owes thousands of hospital patients and nursing home residents, who were wrongly charged a combined €450m for free public services, tens of millions of euro, officials have admitted.

HSE chief financial officer and interim deputy director general Stephen Mulvany confirmed the situation at a lengthy meeting of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee amid concerns that elderly people have so far failed to be repaid all funds.

Speaking to the committee — alongside HSE director general Tony O’Brien, national director for social care Pat Healy, and others — Mr Mulvany confirmed that over the past decade €450m has been repaid to 20,283 people across the State who were wrongly charged for public services. He said this is because of the botched 1976 Health (charges for inpatient services) scheme, which wrongly led to some people, who had medical cards for hospital and nursing home-related services, being charged for services that should have been freely provided.