Treating public patients in private hospitals is part of a government plan to reduce hospital waiting lists.
The first public patients were operated on in private hospitals last week and it is hoped that over one hundred patients will receive treatment within the next few weeks. Where capacity is not available in Ireland, there are plans to send patients to Northern Ireland and Britain.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund Scheme was proposed last year and is now up and running. The brainchild of the Progressive Democrats, the scheme is part of the government's waiting list initiative.
Specifically aimed at those who've been waiting long term for treatment.
Those eligible for the scheme include adults who have been waiting longer than one year and children who have been waiting longer than six months. The total number of eligible patients is around 11,000, accounting for over 40 per cent of the total national waiting list.
Maureen Lynott, Head of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, is confident that the pace of treatment will increase rapidly.
Some of the medical procedures are being carried out at the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin. Manager of the Blackrock Clinic, Brian Harty, expects procedures to continue as capacity allows for at least another six months.
The kinds of treatments being carried out include cataracts, varicose veins, tonsils and hip replacements.
Some consultants are opposed to the project saying that they will not refer their patients for this scheme. Donal Duffy of the Irish Hospital Consultant's Association says that they do not see the merit in sending patients to private hospitals or hospitals overseas while our public hospitals are lying empty and unable to treat patients.
We believe that it is much cheaper to treat patients in public hospitals than it is to pay the full economic cost in a private hospital here in Ireland or overseas.
€30 million of government money has already been allocated for this fund.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 3 July 2002. The reporter is Anne Marie Smyth.
