The National Treatment Purchase Fund, which was set up by the Government to alleviate hospital waiting lists, expects to increase the number of public patients it helps this year by 3,000.
The fund's chief executive, Pat O'Byrne, confirmed yesterday that its budget has increased from €64 million last year to €78 million this year and the additional funding will help increase the number of public patients benefiting from 19,000 to 22,000.
"In 2005, we treated 19,000 patients comprising 14,500 inpatients and 4,500 people on our outpatients initiative. This year we would hope to help a total of 22,000 patients of which 16,000 will be inpatients and 6,000 will be outpatients," Mr O'Byrne said.
To qualify for the scheme, patients must be on a public waiting list for a procedure for at least three months.
Last year some 92 per cent of patients availing of the fund were treated in Ireland, primarily in private hospitals, with some 8 per cent going outside the State to Northern Ireland, England and a small number to the US.
Treatments are available under the fund in a variety of specialities including ear, nose and throat, ophthalmology, general surgery as well as in orthopaedics, in particular joint replacement.
Asked about concerns expressed by the Comptroller and Auditor General, John Purcell, about the variation in prices being paid to hospitals for procedures by the fund, Mr O'Byrne insisted that it also sought value for money.
"Cost bases in hospitals are going to be different so you will have variances. The range on procedures we paid for is plus or minus 15 per cent.
"Very few were above that and very few were below that and our prices included pre- and post-op consultations and all consultant fees."
Mr O'Byrne said the fund negotiates with hospitals, not with consultants, and although it is currently paying per procedure, it intends looking at bulk-buying.
Asked about the resistance of some consultants and hospitals to refer patients to the fund because of fears it leads to less investment in the public health system, Mr O'Byrne said the majority of consultants and hospitals were supportive.
When the fund was established it was an uphill battle to convince people it would work, he said. Now most hospitals and consultants are satisfied, he added.
Mr O'Byrne said the fund also plans to expand its patient treatment register following the success of phase one of the register when the six major hospitals in Dublin and St John's Hospital in Limerick were signed up and details of those awaiting procedures were logged.
This accounted for 40 per cent of patients on public waiting lists but another 11 hospitals will join in April to bring the proportion of patients on the register up to 70 per cent. The fund expects to further expand the register so that all patients are included by the end of the year.