THE GOVERNMENT is determined that €200 million in savings in the health services will be achieved this year, said Brendan Howlin, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
Speaking yesterday he also said that additional posts in the mental health and primacy care areas, which got ring-fenced funding in the budget last December, would be delivered.
On Saturday The Irish Times reported that Health Service Executive management had told the Department of Health its financial deficit had reached €280 million for the first five months of the year. This represented an increase of €80 million in just one month.
The HSE has pointed to slow progress in implementing savings of more than €100 million in drug costs and the generation of an additional €140 million in revenue from health insurers as key elements in the deficit.
The Government has ordered a full review of expenditure across the health service.
Among areas discussed last week by senior health service figures was using unspent funding, originally allocated to develop mental health services in the budget last December, to offset a financial deficit in that area.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, Mr Howlin said: “The decisions made by the Government to achieve those savings will be achieved this year.”
He also added that the targets of getting value for money in expenditure on drugs and receiving full payment for private beds in public hospitals would be achieved this year.
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