Private option: Patients on trolleys in the A&E department at the Mater Hospital in Dublin awaiting a bed are being taken to the nearby Mater Private Hospital for treatment under a new scheme.
Around 30 patients were transferred to the Mater Private Hospital over the Easter period when it had surplus capacity. It is understood that one or two private rooms per night are being used at the Mater Private for patients transferred from the A&E department at the public facility.
A spokesman said the initiative had been drawn up between the two hospitals last month and special funding had been provided by the Health Service Executive. The project is separate to the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
Patients who require treatment that could be provided within a few days are considered most suitable for transfer to the Mater Private.
The Mater's A&E department has been under pressure over recent months.
The hospital spokesman said that regularly there had been around 30 patients on trolleys at the hospital requiring admission to beds.
The hospital has drawn up proposals for the Department of Health to deal with over-crowding in the unit. These include the provision of an additional 100 beds, the opening of a new GP- run unit on the campus and improved access to diagnostic facilities.
The initiative between the Mater Public and Mater Private hospitals is the latest example of co-operation between the State and independent hospital sectors - a move that has been greatly encouraged by the Department of Health since the appointment of Mary Harney as Minister for Health last autumn.
The department is examining a report by management consultants prospectus on the role of the private sector in the public health service.
