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The Taoiseach attended the PHA conference today.

HSE spend on private hospital beds and services to hit €130m by end of year

A senior official said the HSE is due to secure 160-200 additional medical beds from the private sector.

THE HSE IS expected to secure somewhere between 160 and 200 medical beds in additional capacity through private hospitals in the coming days, as it estimates that it will have spent €130 million on private sector capacity by the end of this year, outside of National Treatment Fund spending. 

In recent months the HSE, the Government and the Private Hospitals Association (PHA) became embroiled in a back and forth on extra bed capacity. 

The CEO of the PHA Jim Daly told the HSE that it may have left it too late to contract extra bed capacity from private hospital over the winter ‘surge’ period, when hospital overcrowding reaches its height. 

In September, HSE CEO Bernard Gloster told the Oireachtas health committee that he was “surprised” at the PHA’s stance, and said it wasn’t the case that he had just “picked up the phone and asked for a few beds”. 

Speaking at the annual PHA conference in Kildare today, the chief operating officer of the HSE, Damian McCallion, said that the tender the HSE put out for 160-200 extra beds is about to conclude.

He also said that for the first time, the arrangement between private hospitals and the HSE is being standardised and formalised, rather than being organised more so at a local level as need emerges. 

“We put in a load of beds at local level last winter in response to the crisis that evolved, and we’re now keen to put that on a more sustainable footing.

“In terms of the surge period, December through to January and February, we can work together around it, we need to move to a more strategic arrangement,” he said. 

McCallion added that a review is due to take place of the HSE’s spending in the private sector next year, to make sure that the service is using the “pot of money” being spent on acute bed capacity and scheduled care as wisely as it can be. 

“We need to demonstrate value for money. 

“Some beds are more productive than others, and some hospitals are making it work better than others in terms of maintaining flow of patients in the system, and reducing the pressure and risk in emergency departments. Anyone who has been in an overcrowded ED will know that it’s not a nice place, it’s ugly.”

Bill Maher, the CEO of the Bon Secours private health system, said “in truth, in the next few days we will get to the end of the procurement process.”

“This is first time we have had a proper framework, something we’ve talked about for years. Let’s applaud that,” he added.

Maher, speaking to McCallion, said that the surge period will last beyond February, and that a long term agreement is needed between the HSE and private hospitals year round. 

“That’s the only thing we disagree on. Let’s have this dialogue soon about what capacity is needed, let’s get through winter together,” he added.

Speaking to The Journal at the conference today, Jim Daly the CEO of the PHA said that no private hospitals have signed a contract with the HSE yet to provide extra bed capacity. 

“The HSE get what we are saying about long term planning, they are anxious to work with us. They have committed to a review in the short term, and that’s good.  

“This is the first time we have something that isn’t an ad hoc arrangement, there were some changes made to the contract along the way, where things weren’t working like they needed to, and that’s ok, we are all grown ups, we can deal with that,” Daly further added. 

Since last February, the HSE has been paying for 160 beds within the private system every day, at a cost of roughly €1400 – €1500 a day. 

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    Mute alan scott
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    Nov 16th 2023, 8:56 PM

    Private when healthcare is a right not a luxury. The Republic of Ireland signed the universal health courage under the UN. Looking after the rich and powerful again with their private healthcare. Getting quality healthcare should not take into consideration where you live, where you work, where your kids went to school or who you are connected to. Free Healthcare is a essential tool for life not if you have deep pockets we will look after you. And yes taxs would rise, something i would gladly pay for.

    Put the vulture private healthcare insurance companies out of business.

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Nov 16th 2023, 10:44 PM

    @alan scott: Hear Hear another health insurance company putting up their premiums again this week .With near full employment its time for everyone to contribute and make health welfare available to all.

    48
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    Mute Temp Stuff
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    Nov 17th 2023, 6:02 AM

    @alan scott: healthcare is available to all in Ireland.

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    Mute Martin Mongan
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    Nov 17th 2023, 8:45 AM

    @Temp Stuff: tell that to the people of Meath, as navan gets bigger the hospital gets smaller pushing everyone in the area into drogheda, which now has to take two counties worth of patients

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    Mute alan scott
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    Nov 17th 2023, 2:48 PM

    @Peter Murray: stop trolling, you don’t believe that.

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    Mute alan scott
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    Nov 17th 2023, 2:49 PM

    @Temp Stuff: At a cost yeah lol

    elsewhere in the EU it’s free and funded by general taxation

    1
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    Mute Luka Roche
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    Nov 16th 2023, 9:19 PM

    Splashing Taxpayers money to Larry Goodman and Company…

    He bought and built these hospitals at the back of farmers giving him their cattle by giving them the poorest possible price for their stock while Larry made 3x times the profit at the other end of the gate…

    How about if we stopped closing down Hospitals to Model 2 Status and removing their bed capacity to double digits, we might have a decent healthcare system in this country? Ennis and Nenagh comes to mind with reduced bed numbers….

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    Mute Michael o connor
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    Nov 16th 2023, 9:14 PM

    I’m sure there’s no one with dodgy connections to the blueshirts that own a load of private hospitals. No sir, none at all.

    99
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    Mute Michael o connor
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    Nov 17th 2023, 7:04 AM

    @Peter Murray: poor troll is poor

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    Mute alan scott
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    Nov 17th 2023, 2:54 PM

    @Michael o connor: he’s best ignored

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    Nov 16th 2023, 8:48 PM

    Doing a wonderful job….. that’s on top of the 500 million overrun

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    Mute Daniel Gilroy
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    Nov 16th 2023, 9:29 PM

    Healthcare is a right not a privilege! FFG OUT.

    66
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    Mute Pato
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    Nov 16th 2023, 9:13 PM

    The HSE, Hopeless Sodding Eejits.

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    Mute damien leen
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    Nov 16th 2023, 8:45 PM

    What the f**k do they want, a medal! Congrats on finally getting around to doin the bare minimum!

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    Mute Fintan Neelan
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    Nov 17th 2023, 12:38 AM

    What else should they do. I’m just surprised it’s not into billions. Folks need to be moved out of hospitals so the proper Medicare can be provided to the people who need it.

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    Mute Keth Tgi
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    Nov 17th 2023, 10:55 AM

    Re: The scooter and jeep story. Really poor reporting. Where the two ‘children’ on the scooter, from the Jeep, passing pedestrians? Where are the facts?

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    Mute Gerry Kelly
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    Nov 17th 2023, 5:38 PM

    A couple of things the HSE might like to note
    A – the population is increasing & has gone from 3,5 to 5,1 million over the last 25-30 years. I know most people are aware of this but you guys don’t appear to be most people.
    B – I know it’s very selfish but some get sick/have accidents at weekends. So our health service needs to operate on a 24/7 basis
    C – another winter, another emergency season. You might want to recommend Vitamin D supplements – in Finland free Vitamin D has halved winter hospital admissions & winter deaths. But hey maybe Big Pharma here don’t like you mentioning that so you never do every year as the clocks go back. Curious that

    3
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