HSE says €28m taxi bill for last year is cost-effective

THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) paid out more than €28 million on taxis last year, according to official figures which have just been released.

The HSE said the cost of providing taxis for patients came to more than €27.66 million in 2011, while the bill for taxis for staff was €357,334 for the same period. However, the HSE said that in some areas expenditure recorded as staff taxis related to expenditure attributed to members of staff accompanying patients and clients.

“For example, staff members, including social workers, accompany children on access visits and school outings. In the area of mental health and disabilities, patients/clients may be accompanied by a member of staff to attend medical appointments, referrals and specific activities in relation to their rehabilitative care.”

In a reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher, the HSE’s national director of finance, Liam Woods, said the organisation’s own vehicles and its staff were prioritised for front-line, emergency work.

He said therefore a much more effective service was provided by using taxis for patients or clients who were not acutely ill.

“The use of taxis for patient transport represents a more cost-effective solution when compared to investment in a fleet of HSE-owned vehicles for this purpose.

“Additional costs relating to this would include the provision of 24/7 staffing, maintenance, fuel, insurance and tax. The use of taxis also allows the HSE flexibility in the face of variable demand.

“The HSE is currently concluding a national framework agreement for transport services [taxi, hackney and minibus]. This framework will facilitate regional contracts for transport service by way of mini competitions.

“HSE Procurement has engaged with the National Taxi Regulator to ensure that appropriate quality and standards are in place for such services. Equally important considerations involving the HSE’s decision to utilise contracted transport services such as taxi services include both quality and patient safety.”

Meanwhile, separate figures show the HSE paid just under €170 million in overtime to staff last year.

In the first five months of this year, the bill for overtime came to €68.9 million. The bulk of the overtime payments last year and this year went to clinical staff.

Personnel in the medical and dentistry category received more than €42 million in the year to May and about €134 million last year.