The NTPF arranges treatments for patients, provides independently assured waiting list information, develops systems and processes which contribute to health system reform, negotiates prices for nursing home care, and provides expert advice to the Minister for Health.
The NTPF to exceed its 2024 WLAP patient treatment targets by 10%
A record 251,000 public patients will have timely care arranged by the National Treatment Purchase Fund this year
The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) today announced it will exceed its patient treatment targets set out in the 2024 Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP) by over 10% by the end of the year.
A record 251,000 public patients will have had operations, procedures, diagnostic scans and consultant appointments arranged by the NTPF in 2024, removing them from public hospital waiting lists.
This includes 38,000 in-patient or day case procedures, 118,000 appointments to see a hospital consultant at an outpatient clinic, 25,000 GI scopes and 70,000 diagnostic scans.
Approximately 44% of these public patients will have been facilitated in private hospitals, with the remainder facilitated through in-sourcing initiatives utilising additional capacity in public hospitals.
Commenting, Fiona Brady, CEO of the NTPF said: “The NTPF plays a pivotal role in Ireland’s public health care system, utilising a multi-agency strategic approach to help improve health outcomes for patients on public waiting lists. We exceeded our frontline care commissioning targets as set out in the Waiting List Action Plan this year, with thousands of long waiting patients receiving NTPF arranged care. This milestone underscores the organisation’s commitment to improving patient care and accessibility. Alongside the HSE and Department of Health, we will in 2025 facilitate patients to get timelier access to care and move closer to Sláintecare targets”.
Alongside its commissioning work, the NTPF’s Validation function is responsible for checking the accuracy of public hospital waiting lists by engaging patients to confirm they still require access to care. Over 855,000 patients will have been contacted by the end of the year, resulting in the removal of over 130,000 patients from waiting lists who no longer require care.
Under the ‘Fair Deal’ scheme, the NTPF negotiates and enters into pricing agreements with HIQA-registered private and voluntary nursing homes, to agree and record the maximum price they can charge residents in receipt of funding under the Scheme. The NTPF has contracts in place with all 415 homes participating in the Fair Deal scheme, concluding 299 negotiations in 2024.
The NTPF has been assigned an increased budget of €230M for 2025. “We will use our funding to continue our strong focus on improving waiting times for public patients. Together with the Minister for Health, his Department and the HSE we are developing the WLAP for 2025 to build further on the positive progress made for patients this year”, added Ms. Brady.