Second hospital has NTPF waiting list funding halted amid ‘potential financial irregularities’

The NTPF paused funding for this insourcing work — where a hospital pays a sister facility in its group to treat patients — at CHI.

The national fund covering hospital waiting list initiatives is now investigating a second hospital for "potential financial irregularities" and has asked all hospitals to report on their use of this money.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has faced scrutiny since an unpublished report revealed that extra clinics held on weekends at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) did not meet the required criteria.

In fact, the report raised concerns that some children waited longer than they would have through standard care due to how the funding was used in this case.

The NTPF paused funding for this insourcing work — where a hospital pays a sister facility in its group to treat patients — at CHI.

On Wednesday, they said they are now to “recommence insourcing work, effective immediately, with CHI after a review of the assurances given by CHI in relation to its ongoing compliance with existing NTPF protocols and procedures.” 

However, in the first sign that these issues extend to other hospitals, as opposition politicians recently warned, the NTPF confirmed that another site is now under investigation.

The hospital was named as Beaumont Hospital in Dublin by RTÉ on Wednesday evening.

“The NTPF confirms it has also alerted the Department of Health and HSE about potential financial irregularities in relation to NTPF-funded insourcing work at another public hospital. The NTPF has suspended all insourcing work with that hospital since 11th April,” a spokesman said.

“The NTPF immediately informed the Department and HSE of these concerns and is working with them in relation to the ongoing review. The matter has been referred to the HSE’s Internal Audit team. The NTPF is restricted from making further comment at this stage.” 

A spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about when the HSE and Minister for Health were informed of the issue.

The fund has written to all hospitals receiving insourcing funding, requesting confirmation that the work complies with required guidelines.

“A strict deadline of next Monday, June 16th has been given for the completion of these replies and the NTPF will report on this to the Department and the HSE,” the spokesman said.

Chief Executive Fiona Brady said the NTPF is “deeply concerned” that proper procedures were not followed.

“The NTPF will now increase governance and oversight across its insourcing work with public hospitals, who up to now have been responsible for this internal governance,” a spokesman said.

They have shared this plan with the HSE and the Department of Health.

The HSE said it received an allegation about a single clinic funded by the NTPF at a hospital funded by the state under a system called Section 38.

They were informed by the Department of Health on the evening they heard about it from the NTPF who in turn were alerted by the hospital in question, a HSE spokeswoman said.

HSE CEO Bernard Gloster was also informed.

“Almost immediately, in consultation with the CEO of the HSE, they commissioned an internal audit to establish the facts. The NTPF are aware of this,” the spokeswoman said.

They will share the information gathered back to the fund.

“This remains an allegation,” she said. “We take it very seriously, but the information in relation to it needs to be gathered and the facts have yet to be established.