Concerns Over Use Of Public Funding Leads To Naas Hospital Voluntarily Pausing Insourcing For A Time

That's according to the Irish Times

Naas General Hospital voluntarily suspended its use of an initiative aimed at reducing waiting lists after concerns were raised regarding the use of public funding.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which was established to address waiting lists, allocates funds for outsourcing and insourcing.

Recently, questions have been raised about how insourcing was being managed, following the leak of a 2022 report from Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), which included allegations of potential misuse of funds.

In response to these concerns, Naas General Hospital's funding was temporarily halted but has since been reinstated, according to The Irish Times.

Additionally, Beaumont Hospital's funding has been suspended due to "potential financial irregularities."

During a meeting of the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday, Bernard Gloster, CEO of the Health Service Executive (HSE), confirmed that there were also concerns regarding Naas General Hospital.

He explained that the regional executive officer had received correspondence highlighting potential issues there.

“It’s not uncommon that after the CHI report, we started receiving additional concerns,” Mr. Gloster said. “The concern is around how NTPF funding has been used or managed by Naas hospital. An internal audit will look into this.” He estimated the audit would take about three months.

Fiona Brady, CEO of the NTPF, added that Naas General Hospital had voluntarily paused its insourcing while working with her team to resolve the issue, and she was confident they would address it swiftly.

Mr. Gloster noted that the insourcing issue is widespread and not limited to specific doctors or hospitals. "It appears to be a systemic problem, though it manifests differently in each hospital," he said.

He acknowledged the existence of governance mechanisms but raised concerns about their effectiveness in relation to insourcing.

In his report to Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, published on Tuesday, Mr. Gloster proposed phasing out insourcing by June of next year.

The report warns that unchecked growth in insourcing could lead to conflicts of interest, violations of procurement rules, inequitable use of public funds, and reduced public trust.

Mr. Gloster emphasized that the risks associated with insourcing are too high for the public, which is why he believes it should be gradually phased out.

To mitigate these issues in the meantime, he mentioned new “protections” would be put in place to prevent potential conflicts of interest.

The health service has also been moving toward a longer working week, with unions agreeing last week to work five days over seven, increasing hours outside the standard Monday-to-Friday, 9am to 5pm schedule.

Mr. Gloster acknowledged that the reliance on insourcing is a barrier to extending the working week.