HSE spent €300m on travel costs

THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has spent more than €300 million on staff travel and mileage costs over the last three years, according to new official figures obtained by Fine Gael.

The figures show that the HSE's bill for travel and mileage was more than €93 million last year, with a further €30 million spent in the first four months of this year.

Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly, who obtained the details in reply to a written parliamentary question, yesterday strongly criticised the level of spending on transport in the HSE and said the "staggering" amounts involved should have been put to better use.

However, the HSE said it had already clamped down on travel and subsistence except where necessary to deliver clinical services.

"With a swath of cuts already hitting the health service, it is clear that the Government and HSE would rather spend badly needed cash on ferrying staff around than on patients' needs," Dr Reilly said.

"As admitted this week, the Fianna Fáil/PD government botched their single biggest health reform - the setting up of the HSE - and we are now seeing the results of the Government's inability to get a handle on the health service with expenditure on non-essential items such as staff transport sky-rocketing."

The HSE figures show that in 2005 its bill for staff travel including mileage payments was €82.6 million while in 2006 it paid out €85.23 million.

Dr Reilly said that while some expenditure on staff transport was necessary, "splurging €300 million in three years is completely indefensible". The old and vulnerable were already feeling the pain of Government cutbacks "but this pain could be significantly lessened if huge amounts of cash weren't spent on HSE staff transport". Last week the Government announced that €144 million is to be saved on spending in the health sector this year including €85 million earmarked for the Fair Deal scheme for funding long-term care.

The HSE is expected to announce its own cutbacks later this month to allow it to live within its budget for the year. A spokesman said the organisation had already put in place measures to end travel and subsistence payments except those involved in the delivery of clinical services.

He said that under this directive, travel to regional or national groups was stopped while clinical service provision was being reviewed to ensure the most appropriate use of travel and subsistence resources. The vast majority of the money paid out on travel and subsistence in the HSE involved the delivery of frontline services. He said 65 per cent of the money went to those delivering primary care services such as public health nurses and home helps.