€1.2 million to transport patients to appointments

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) is facing renewed calls from the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) for the provision of a renal dialysis satellite centre at Ennis hospital after spending over €1.2 million transporting patients in the Mid-West to hospital appointments last year.

Last year, the HSE spent €1.006m transporting dialysis patients to acute hospitals in the Mid-West, €45,429 transporting other Clare patients with serious illnesses; €160,482 on transport for Limerick patients and €10,675 on patients from North Tipperary.

The Clare Champion has also learned the total cost of transporting patients in the region to hospitals has increased from €677,000 from January to October 2006 to €1,222,609 last year.

One of the most startling revelations from the official HSE figures is the expenditure of €137,730 for transporting staff a few miles between St Munchin’s Regional Maternity Hospital on the Ennis Road and the Mid-Western Regional Hospital at Dooradoyle in Limerick.

This was in sharp contrast to €8,732 on transporting Clare staff to hospitals during the course of their work and just €368 on Tipperary staff transport costs.

The overall spending on taxis for transporting patients for hospital appointments in the entire HSE West area, which covers nine counties from Donegal to North Tipperary was €4.284m in 2011, while the staff cost was €223,938.

Clare IKA branch treasurer, Peggy Eustace has requested the regional health authority to consider placing a new satellite haemodialysis unit at Ennis hospital to reduce the cost of transporting 36 local patients to haemodialysis facilities in Limerick and Galway.

Ms Eustace said the association has previously proposed that a new satellite unit and a renal outreach clinic should be provided in Ennis but this proposal had fallen on deaf ears.

However, the Mid-West HSE insisted the provision of a satellite dialysis unit at Ennis hospital would not be in accordance with national policy, which is based on the principle of best practice as agreed by medical authorities at national and international level.

“Dialysis services for patients in Clare have improved significantly in recent years and many people will recall patients having to travel to Dublin for treatment up to comparatively recently,” said a HSE spokesman.
Ms Eustace stressed transport had to be provided for patients who wouldn’t be well enough to drive home from hospital after spending four hours receiving haemodialysis three times a week.

“Those in charge of patient transport were given the task of examining this issue. This included grouping patients requiring transport from the one area together.

“There are currently six patients who are transported by minibus and the rest are transported by taxi,” she said.

Describing the overall cost of providing patient transport as “exorbitant”, HSE West Forum member, Councillor Brian Meaney expressed concern about the “abuse of public funds”.

He expressed grave concern about the expenditure of €137,730 transporting Limerick staff between St Munchin’s and the regional hospital in Limerick and argued a shuttle bus could provide the same service for a fraction of the cost.

This issue was raised by Councillor Sean McGowan at a HSE West Forum meeting in Galway on Tuesday where he expressed concern about the overall expenditure on taxi fares in 2011.

He proposed the HSE should hire at least two minibuses, one in Limerick and Galway to reduce the cost of taxis.

Regional director of operations, John Hennessy stated this was an area he felt the HSE should not be directly involved in.

Mr Hennessy acknowledged there are other agencies and bodies who could do a better job than the HSE in this area and noted the authority worked with voluntary bodies to try and reduce the amount of transport that had to be provided for some patients with serious illnesses.

Stating the cost of providing transport was very expensive, he confirmed the HSE had taken steps to reduce the cost by requesting tenders during the procurement process.

He pointed out it is expensive to provide transport for patients in the HSE West Forum area because of the geography of the area and the fact that some patients live in isolated rural areas.

In reply to Councillor McGowan, he said the HSE is willing to consider the provision of a minibus on a public basis.

Assistant national finance director, Liam Minihan confirmed the HSE saved €220,000 on the provision of taxis, less than what was budgeted for through better procurement procedures.

Mr Minihan said most of this cost saving was on dialysis and confirmed further savings were targeted for 2013.