HSE 'failed to heed own projections' as staff say more Fair Deal beds needed

The HSE slashed the number of extra Fair Deal beds it believes will be required this year despite its own officials predicting hundreds more would be needed.

The health service has been accused by Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) of ignoring its own estimates of the level of demand for the scheme to help people pay for nursing home care.

Earlier this week, the Irish Independent revealed a looming funding crisis in Fair Deal after the HSE failed to adequately budget for people living longer.

Now it has emerged the HSE itself last year projected a need to fund between 527 and 717 additional Fair Deal places in 2019 under two different scenarios based on demographic requirements.

The estimate that hundreds of additional places are needed came in a September 2018 HSE report on the expected levels of service needed in the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHHS) this year.

However, the HSE’s National Service Plan 2019 only provides for funding 91 extra places over and above those provided in 2018.

NHI chief executive Tadhg Daly claimed the figures show the State has been “negligent in its planning and resourcing to enable people to access nursing home care”.

He also claimed the HSE has “completely failed to heed its own projections and we are now faced with an escalation in the number of people awaiting not just Fair Deal, but also transitional care funding support”.

Mr Daly said his organisation, which represents private nursing homes, has received a “huge number of calls” from nursing homes warning of lengthy delays in the transfer of patients from hospitals into nursing home care.

He said: “There is an urgent requirement for the Government to take immediate action and ensure Fair Deal is appropriately resourced.”

The HSE’s 2019 Service Plan provides for 23,042 places, but there are already more beds being used according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

It said performance reports indicate there were 23,252 people in Fair Deal places at the end of May this year.

There have been HSE estimates of a budget deficit in Fair Deal ranging from €17m to €30m this year.

Last night, the HSE insisted it does not expect the scheme to have a deficit for 2019 and it is projected to be delivered within budget. It said the budget this year is €999m, a €37.5m increase on 2018.

The HSE said the projected number of entrants to the Fair Deal scheme is revised monthly, but based on the year so far it still expects to support 23,042 placements – the figure in the 2019 Service Plan – throughout this year.

A Department of Health statement also pointed to a funding increase for Fair Deal this year but gave a different figure to the HSE.

It said: “The NHSS budget for 2019 is €985.8m, which is an increase of €24.3m over its 2018 budget.”

It also said the HSE “has noted that the number of residents in nursing homes supported by the NHSS is ahead of forecast for the year to date”.

It said the latest reports indicate there were 23,252 people supported in the scheme at the end of May.

The department said the HSE releases funding in a managed way to ensure the operation of the NHSS remains within budget.

“Funding is issued to applicants in chronological order, to ensure equity nationally,” it added.

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