THE HSE IS expected to secure somewhere between 160 and 200 medical beds in additional capacity through private hospitals in the coming days, as it estimates that it will have spent €130 million on private sector capacity by the end of this year, outside of National Treatment Fund spending. 

In recent months the HSE, the Government and the Private Hospitals Association (PHA) became embroiled in a back and forth on extra bed capacity. 

The CEO of the PHA Jim Daly told the HSE that it may have left it too late to contract extra bed capacity from private hospital over the winter ‘surge’ period, when hospital overcrowding reaches its height. 

In September, HSE CEO Bernard Gloster told the Oireachtas health committee that he was “surprised” at the PHA’s stance, and said it wasn’t the case that he had just “picked up the phone and asked for a few beds”. 

Speaking at the annual PHA conference in Kildare today, the chief operating officer of the HSE, Damian McCallion, said that the tender the HSE put out for 160-200 extra beds is about to conclude.

He also said that for the first time, the arrangement between private hospitals and the HSE is being standardised and formalised, rather than being organised more so at a local level as need emerges. 

“We put in a load of beds at local level last winter in response to the crisis that evolved, and we’re now keen to put that on a more sustainable footing.

“In terms of the surge period, December through to January and February, we can work together around it, we need to move to a more strategic arrangement,” he said. 

McCallion added that a review is due to take place of the HSE’s spending in the private sector next year, to make sure that the service is using the “pot of money” being spent on acute bed capacity and scheduled care as wisely as it can be. 

“We need to demonstrate value for money. 

“Some beds are more productive than others, and some hospitals are making it work better than others in terms of maintaining flow of patients in the system, and reducing the pressure and risk in emergency departments. Anyone who has been in an overcrowded ED will know that it’s not a nice place, it’s ugly.”

Bill Maher, the CEO of the Bon Secours private health system, said “in truth, in the next few days we will get to the end of the procurement process.”

“This is first time we have had a proper framework, something we’ve talked about for years. Let’s applaud that,” he added.

Maher, speaking to McCallion, said that the surge period will last beyond February, and that a long term agreement is needed between the HSE and private hospitals year round. 

“That’s the only thing we disagree on. Let’s have this dialogue soon about what capacity is needed, let’s get through winter together,” he added.

Speaking to The Journal at the conference today, Jim Daly the CEO of the PHA said that no private hospitals have signed a contract with the HSE yet to provide extra bed capacity. 

“The HSE get what we are saying about long term planning, they are anxious to work with us. They have committed to a review in the short term, and that’s good.  

“This is the first time we have something that isn’t an ad hoc arrangement, there were some changes made to the contract along the way, where things weren’t working like they needed to, and that’s ok, we are all grown ups, we can deal with that,” Daly further added. 

Since last February, the HSE has been paying for 160 beds within the private system every day, at a cost of roughly €1400 – €1500 a day.