HSE warns of fall of 20 per cent in hospital treatments

The Health Service Executive has warned the Government that the number of patients scheduled to be treated in public hospitals next year could fall by more than one-fifth because of lack of money.

The assertion, set out in draft papers submitted in advance of its service plan – its agreement with the Government on how the €13 billion health budget is spent – has led to a dispute with the Department of Health.

Senior officials have insisted that they will not accept any fall in the numbers of operations and procedures carried out in Irish hospitals when hospital budgets are increasing.

The HSE has argued that the extra €100 million on offer to acute hospitals is €150 million short of what is needed to maintain existing services, according to a draft plan lodged by the HSE.

Potential shortfall

It is understood that the HSE said in its draft service plan that given the potential shortfall in funding for acute hospitals next year the number of elective or non-urgent patients treated could fall by well in excess of 20 per cent.

Such a scenario would have significant implications for waiting lists. It has also warned the number of homecare packages available, which are designed to provide supports to allow patients to leave hospitals and return to live at home, will be reduced as additional money made available for this purpose this year will not recur in 2016.

Women’s healthcare

In drawing up its service plan, the HSE has also been instructed by the Department of Health to bring about improvements in maternity and women’s healthcare in the wake of the controversy surrounding Portlaoise hospital. The department has also sought the implementation of the recommendations of the emergency department taskforce to deal with the problems of trolleys as well as reductions in waiting times for scheduled and unscheduled care, with particular priority being given to those waiting the longest.

It is understood that the HSE has been holding further talks with officials of the department over the last week or so on revising its service plan proposals.

Some sources have suggested that it has been looking at diverting money from other parts of the health budget to the acute hospital sector.

The final service plan is expected to be submitted by the HSE before the end of the week.

A spokesman for the department said: “The service plan has not been submitted yet. It’s still a work in progress.”