The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health is meeting today, Wednesday 2nd July, to scrutinise how hospital waiting lists are being managed and to question the Health Service Executive (HSE) and National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) over the growing use of outsourced treatment.
Committee Chair Deputy Pádraig Rice said the hearing will focus on whether public money is being spent effectively as the State struggles to bring waiting times under control.
“The Health Committee is particularly concerned about the HSE’s growing reliance on the NTPF to address long waiting lists,” Deputy Rice said ahead of the session. “The NTPF was designed as a short-term fix more than 20 years ago. This year its budget has reached €230 million.”
He added that recent allegations around misuse of NTPF funding, especially relating to poorly monitored insourcing arrangements, will also be examined.
“While we acknowledge the challenges the HSE faces, our job is to hold them to account and ensure patients receive timely, effective care,” Deputy Rice said.
Representatives from both the HSE and the NTPF are appearing before the Committee in Leinster House this morning.
