Blackrock Clinic reports healthy increase in profits

A significant increase in the number of privately insured patients using Blackrock Clinic led to a €6.6 million rise in revenues at the hospital in 2011.

The hospital reported revenues of €93.3 million in 2011, despite a decision by the National Treatment Purchase Fund to cease referrals to the private hospital sector.

The decision by the National Treatment Purchase Fund had a major impact on the hospital’s activity for the year, according to the directors.

However, this was offset by a significant increase in the number of privately insured patients using its services.

Pretax profits at Blackrock Clinic increased from €13.8 million in 2010 to €14.05 million in 2011, while operating profits at the south Dublin hospital rose from €14.97 million to €15.51 million.

An increase in the number of full-time staff at the hospital from 495 in 2010 to 553 in 2011 led to a jump in the cost of wages and salaries. The hospital paid €33.3 million in payroll costs, including wages and social welfare costs, in 2011 compared to €30.1 million in 2010. More than €28 million was paid in wages and salaries alone, an increase of €2.9 million on the 2010 figure.

At December 31st, 2011, the hospital employed 700 people directly, with another 103 employed indirectly through catering and cleaning contractors.

The hospital also employs “medical personnel through agencies, and in addition there are a number of medical consultants and their secretarial staff working on campus”.

The cost of paying temporary contract and agency medical staff all increased during the year, rising from €1.69 million in 2010 to €2.1 million in 2011.

During the year the hospital completed the installation of a dedicated cardiac MRI centre (the first of its kind in Ireland) and commenced the construction of a centralised decontamination unit.

The hospital is currently undertaking a €42.5 million expansion and refurbishment programme, funded through past and future profits being reinvested back into the hospital, together with bank debt.

The hospital put more than €14.5 million into capital expenditure and financial investment in 2011. However, this was a substantial decrease on the 2010 figure of €21.7 million.