The Health Service Executive will use private hospitals to "help clear the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) lists," its Chief Executive has said.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Paul Reid said the arrangement made with private hospitals at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic "was absolutely the right thing to do" to "help deal with the expected surge" of cases.
He said: "Thankfully we haven't seen that huge surge, so that is good, but we are now focused on how can we maximise that arrangement to the best."
This is based on addressing three key areas, Mr Reid said, which are cancer and cardiology services, time-dependent surgeries, and the use of the NTPF mechanism for procedures "to be done from now until the duration of the agreement".
He urged caution in the next phase of the virus, citing the World Health Organization and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control who, he said, are warning about a potential second wave of Covid-19.
Some hospital capacity has to be "kept" for this eventuality, Mr Reid added.
He appealed to people to see their GP if they are concerned about other medical conditions, and to visit emergency departments when they feel it is necessary.
"We are very concerned to get back to non-Covid services.
"We are very anxious that people come back for critical care that they need or clinical care but we do need to do it cautiously. It's going to be a very different hospital system, it's going to be a very different healthcare system, not just in our acutes (acute hospitals) but equally in our communities."
On the performance of the healthcare system, Mr Reid said he has "never seen so much change implemented in such a short time" and this "puts us in good stead to look at issues in the future, including how we care for the elderly and the private/public hospital system".
Care in congregated settings "is an issue for policymakers to look at in the future," he added.
In relation to the reopening of schools, Mr Reid said the Government must decide on the next steps based on five criteria - the spread of the disease, testing and tracing, hospital capacity, vulnerable groups and non-Covid services.
"The Government will consider in the round across a range of issues, one of which is the performance of the disease."
Mr Reid is one year in his position at the HSE today.
He said he feels "privileged" to be in his role and is "inspired" by those he is working with and "proud" of Ireland's frontline workers.
