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The Health Service Executive will use private hospitals to “help erase the lists of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF),” said its Executive Director.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Paul Reid said the agreement with private hospitals at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic “was absolutely the right thing” to “help deal with the expected increase” in cases.
He said, “Fortunately, we haven’t seen that big increase, so that’s good, but now we’re focused on how we can maximize that deal the best.”
This is based on addressing three key areas, Reid said, which are cancer and cardiology services, time-dependent surgeries and the use of the NTPF mechanism for procedures “to be performed from now until the duration of the agreement.”
He urged caution in the next phase of the virus, citing the World Health Organization and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, which he said are warning of a possible second wave of Covid-19.
A certain hospital capacity must be “maintained” for this eventuality, Reid added.
He called on people to see their GP if they are concerned about other medical conditions, and to visit emergency departments when deemed necessary.
“We are very concerned about going back to non-Covid services.
“We are very eager for people to return to receive the critical care they need or clinical care, but we need to do so with caution. It will be a very different hospital system, it will be a very different health system, not just in our acute (acute hospitals) but also in our communities. “
On the performance of the health system, Reid said that “I have never seen so many changes implemented in such a short time” and this “puts us in a good position to analyze future problems, including how we care for the elderly and the public / private hospital system. “
Care in congregated settings “is a problem that policy makers should consider in the future,” he added.
Regarding the reopening of schools, Mr. Reid said that the Government must decide next steps based on five criteria: the spread of the disease, testing and tracing, hospital capacity, vulnerable groups and services. that are not from Covid.
“The government will consider in the round a series of questions, one of which is the performance of the disease.”
Reid has a year in his position at HSE today.
He said he feels “privileged” to play his role and is “inspired” by those with whom he is working and “proud” of Ireland’s front-line workers.
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