One of the State's best known private hospitals has defended its decision to charge over €6,700 to accommodate a patient for just one night in a semi-private ward.
Dublin's Mater Private Hospital said yesterday the charge included nursing care, drugs, and the use of laboratories as well as bed and breakfast.
The charge came to light when a woman called RTÉ's Liveline programme yesterday to discuss the bill presented to the VHI for her father's treatment after he was discharged having spent one night in hospital.
The woman said the bill amounted to €12,764.48 itemised as follows: accommodation (semi-private) €6,721.12, prosthesis €4,550, surgeon €1,465.54 and pathology €27.82.
She said the patient had an ECG on May 12th which showed up problems and he was admitted two days later for an angiogram. This showed he needed an angioplasty which involved a stent or a tiny piece of metal being inserted to dilate a vessel/valve. This was the prosthesis referred to in the bill. The woman said she was shocked when she saw the charge for the accommodation and thought it was a mistake.
The VHI's medical director Ms Bernadette Carr said the €6,721.12 price for accommodation had been agreed with private hospitals for certain procedures. This meant the charge was the same whether the patient ended up staying one or 12 nights. She said she was confident these prices were significantly lower than in many institutions in the UK.