Every public patient will be guaranteed private care in Irish hospitals, or abroad, if they are on a waiting list for more than three months, the Progressive Democrats have proposed.
The 26,000-strong waiting list could be significantly reduced by next summer if a £50 million fund was set up quickly, the Tanaiste and Progressive Democrat leader, Ms Mary Harney, said.
The proposals, which will form part of the discussion surrounding the Government's health strategy, are yet another example that health will dominate the general election.
Under the plan, consultants will be asked to give appointment dates to all public patients waiting three months or more. If they cannot, patients will be offered private treatment in Ireland, Britain or elsewhere. "This is a simple but radical change to put patients first," said the author of the report, Limerick-based councillor, Mr Tim O'Malley, who has worked closely on the issue with the Tβnaiste.
The State will match rates paid by the Voluntary Health Insurance or BUPA for operations. Travel costs will also be met for the patient, and an accompanying person if they have to go abroad.
The average operation should cost no more than £2,000. The total bill should be between £50 million and £100 million a year and it would stay in place indefinitely to ensure that waiting lists did not run out of control again, it is said.
The Tβnaiste said there was excess capacity available in private hospitals. "For instance, their operating theatres are not in use seven days a week," she said.
The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association's secretary general, Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, disagreed. Hospitals here operated far above internationally recommended capacity guidelines, he said.
"The public system is dominated by emergency admissions. That is what causes the cancellations of scheduled operations. This is about capacity, the use and number of nurses," he declared.
The PD proposal was given to the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, on Monday.
"We have looked at every idea," Mr O'Malley said. "This is the best one that we have found. There is nothing yet written in stone about the Government's health strategy. There are grey areas yet in the strategy. It is still at the Cabinet sub-committee level." If implemented, the measures would boost private hospital care here and attract back consultants living abroad.
A Labour Party TD, Ms Liz McManus, said the proposals would undermine public hospitals in the long-term and damage private health insurers.
