Wage costs claim over 40% of extra health spend

More than €420 million of the extra €1 billion to be spent on the health services next year will be used to meet wage agreements for existing staff, the Tanaiste and Minister for Health said this evening.

Detailing the spending plans for 2006, Ms Harney said spending in the health services would rise to more than €12.6 billion.

To encourage non-emergency patients to visit their GP instead of accident and emergency units, the cost of visiting A&E departments will be increased by €5 per visit to €60.

And as part of the Government policy to eliminate the subsidy to private beds in public hospitals Ms Harney said the charges for private beds in public hospitals would rise by 10 per cent.

The cost of a public patient staying overnight in hospital will also rise by €5 per night to €60, rising to a maximum of €600 in any one year.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) , which buys private procedures for patients on the public waiting list, is to be allocated an additional €13 million to allow it to increase the number of operations purchased next year by 3,500.

Ms Harney said the NTPF had paid for treatment for more than 36,500 patients, and that with the additional funding it was hoped to treat 18,500 next year.

The Minister said an additional €100 million had been allocated for services in the disability and mental health area.

"That means increased places, increased home support increased respite for those who suffer from intellectual physical and sensory. And also increased community based services", Ms Harney said.

Some €41 million has been assigned to the mental health and disability sector, in the main to ensure compliance with two recent pieces of legislation governing the area, including the Disability Act 2005.

Within that, she said €1.2 million has been earmarked for the implementation of the national suicide prevention programme.

Another €60 million will be used to commission new units which have been built but which are waiting to be staffed, and in some cases, equipped.

Another priority according to the Minister is primary care. In 2006, €16 million will be spent on services in this area, allowing the hiring of support staff to work alongside GPs.

She said there were "about 75 to 100 primary care teams around the country [and] we are going to increase the staff available to them by about 100."

As part of the national strategy to prepare for a possible avian flu pandemic more than €10 million has been set aside next year for the purchase of H5N1 vaccines and anti-virials.

To ease staff shortages in the midwifery sector, the Minister said she plans to introduce direct entry undergraduate programmes for midwives and children's nursing.

The new programmes will be offered in seven third-level institutions and will be accepting a full compliment of students by 2011.

She also confirmed that the number of GP training places will increase next year by 22, rising to a total of 128. She confirmed that the Government target was to grow the number of training places

Ms Harney said the Government has to ensure the pace of reform in the health services matches the increase in funding.

"We were spending almost 15 per cent less than OECD average, now we are 17 per cent higher, and that is 2003," she said.

Ms Harney said it was "fortunate that the Exchequer is able to generate the resources to make these kinds of investments in health care".