A public hospital is facing significant fines for failing to meet Government targets for treating patients on waiting lists.
The head of the Department of Health Special Delivery Unit, Tony O’Brien, said this afternoon it was in significant discussions with one institution about the level of penalty to be imposed.
Speaking in advance of a presentation to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) conference in Killarney Mr O’Brien said there were a number of patients involved.
He said these had remained untreated at the end of March having been on a waiting list for 12 months.
Mr O’Brien declined to identify the hospital concerned.
Under measures announced earlier this year hospitals which do not meet targets for treating patients on waiting lists within one year face potential fines of €25,000 per case per month.
Alternatively hospitals may have to bear the cost of treating the patients elsewhere as well as a penalty of 100 per cent of the bill.
Mr O’Brien said the Department of Health was currently in talks with the hospital concerned. He said there was a need to take all the relevant information into account before settling on a final figure for the fine to apply.
