Madam, - Dr Cyril Daly (August 30th) questions the National Treatment Purchase Fund over the competitiveness of its pricing.
The NTPF would like to state that it seeks the best value for money by actively negotiating fully inclusive prices for surgical procedures for patients referred by the NTPF.
It uses a combination of criteria to benchmark these prices. These include published public hospital case-mix costs, insurers' schedule of fees for consultant costs, prices of peer hospitals and estimated private insurers' prices. The NTPF negotiates directly with each individual hospital for fully inclusive prices which include consultants' fees; the NTPF does not separately negotiate or pay consultants' fees.
Like health insurers, the NTPF does not publish its prices as they are commercially sensitive. By negotiating privately, the fund is not compromised in its negotiating position and is better placed to achieve value for money. Like all public bodies the NTPF is independently audited.
Since its inception in July 2002, the NTPF has treated more than 35,000 patients. Waiting times for surgical operations have reduced substantially and patient surveys consistently record a high level of satisfaction with the NTPF's service. Patients waiting over three months for a surgical procedure can contact the NTPF directly on Lo-Call 1890 720 820. - Yours, etc,
PAT O'BYRNE,
CEO, National Treatment
Purchase Fund,
Ashford House,
Tara Street,
Dublin 2.