Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2026
1371. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health to detail the process and eligibility criteria for patients accessing treatment through the National Treatment Purchase Scheme; and to provide the number of applications, approvals, refusals and reimbursements under the scheme in each of the past three years, as well as any planned changes or improvements. [39555/26]
View answerThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an Inpatient/Day case or Outpatient waiting list.
The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF treatment the clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital.
The number of patient care episodes arranged by the NTPF in each of the last three years; 250,206 in 2023, 247,159 in 2024, and 198,289 in 2025.
The NTPF continues to support the public hospital system and under the Waiting Time Action Plan 2026, the NTPF has undertaken to deliver 143,000 episodes of patient care; 100,000 OPD appointments, 23,000 IPDC procedures and 20,000 GI Scopes.
