Leanann an t-Airgead an t-Othar

Samhail maoinithe do chúram in otharlanna poiblí in Éirinn is ea an Leanann an t-Airgead an t-Othar (Béarla: Money Follows the Patient (MFTP) a tháinig chun chinn faoi Fine Gael.

It involves moving away from inefficient block grant budgets to a new system where hospitals are paid for the actual level of activity undertaken. As such, hospitals will be funded based on the quantity and quality of the services they deliver to patients. They will be liberated, subject to overall budgetary ceilings, to pursue the most cost-effective means of achieving this standard of performance. Budgetary discipline will be delivered through the use of fixed budgets for MFTP activity.

In short, MFTP is intended to:

ensure a fairer system of resource allocation where hospitals are paid for the quality care they deliver, drive efficiency in the provision of high quality hospital services, increase transparency in the provision of hospital services, and ultimately, support the move to an equitable, single-tier universal health insurance system where every patient is insured and has their care financed on the same basis. Implementation

Money Follows the Patient represents a major change in the way hospitals are funded. For this reason, a phased approach to implementation is being taken. The primary objective for 2014 is to get started and to introduce across the acute hospital sector the concept of linking funding to actual activity in a way that will not destabilise hospital budgets. As such, the first phase of MFTP commenced from January across 38 hospitals, for public inpatient and daycase activity. Appropriate monitoring of the system will take place regularly throughout the year.

The commencement of implementation followed considerable preparatory work undertaken during 2013. This included:

publication of a detailed MFTP Policy Paper a stakeholder consultation process a readiness review conducted by an international expert a pilot project a shadow funding exercise the establishment of a Healthcare Pricing Office on an administrative basis. Future Development of MFTP

While MFTP has begun with hospital services, the payment system will evolve in the future so that money will follow the patient out of the hospital, when appropriate, to support treatment in primary care services. The work of the National Clinical Programmes will be central to the future development of the payment model so that care can be financed as a bundle/package across a variety of settings. On-going communication and stakeholder engagement will play a central role in the implementation of MFTP.

EILISH O'REGAN HEALTH CORRESPONDENT – PUBLISHED 02 APRIL 2014 02:30 AM

HOSPITALS are being told to spend €3bn of their funding this year to trial run a "money follows the patient" system of paying for surgical operations.

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Under the system, hospitals will be paid per treatment which is costed by a pricing office.

The bill will take into account factors such as the patient's age and complexity of the procedure.

The aim is to eventually move away from the system of block funding for hospitals which is regarded as not promoting efficiency.

A spokeswoman for the HSE said: "Funding of approximately €3bn is being initially allocated to the 38 hospitals in the 'money follows the patient' process.

"Some final adjustment to this value may take place when discussions with a small number of hospitals are concluded."

"It is important to note that this €3bn is a component of the total block funding to hospitals and is not new funding," she added.

A national information and pricing office, which is being set up on a small-scale administrative basis, is expected to provide detailed pricing information and ensure hospitals are not being paid too much or too little.

The spokeswoman said that all areas of acute admitted care – patients who need a hospital bed overnight and those treated on a day-case basis – are included in the 'money follows the patient' scheme.

According to the Department of Health: "From the patient's perspective, the new funding model won't involve any change in how they obtain hospital services and interact with professionals.

ACCESS

"However, it is about improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of hospital care. In line with these aims, the new model should enhance value for money and improve overall patient experience.

"By boosting productivity, the model should reinforce the important work of the Special Delivery Unit in improving access for public patients."

"In developing policy and implementation plans for full introduction of the funding model, the issue of quality has been considered and built-in at each stage of the process," it said.

It insisted that the "new funding model does not seek to reduce budgets, rather it will encourage hospitals to use the resources at their disposal more efficiently.

"It provides a more transparent funding mechanism and it more fairly rewards hospitals for the activity that they undertake."

tagairtí

http://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/MoneyFollowsthePatient_HFPP.pdf