Madam, - Maurice Neligan (Health Supplement, April 11th) refers to the National Treatment Purchase Fund as an "apparently unaccountable white elephant".
Over the past four years the NTPF has very effectively demonstrated its worth, with a significant impact on public hospital in-patient waiting lists. It has arranged treatment for more than 41,000 patients since it was set up in July 2002. These patients would most probably be still waiting for their procedures if the NTPF did not exist. We operate within a budget that is 0.6 per cent of the entire health budget and we perform an effective, value-for-money role for taxpayers and patients while ensuring patients are treated to the highest standard of care.
Our job is to get patients treated quickly, with the obvious health and social gain that follows. We make no apologies for using all the resources at our disposal once our quality standards are met and prices are agreed with hospitals. We operate in a transparent manner where we know the patients we treat, what each procedure costs and we can account for our budget.
We are accountable to the Department of Health and Children, to the Comptroller and Auditor General, who reports on our work, and ultimately to the people of Ireland to whom we provide our services.
Anyone who has been waiting for more than three months for a surgical procedure could be entitled to treatment from the NTPF and can call us on 1890 720 820 to check their eligibility. - Yours, etc,
PAT O'BYRNE, CEO, National Treatment Purchase Fund, Tara Street, Dublin 2.