Madam, - The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) rejects claims from orthopaedic consultants in Tallaght Hospital (June 6th) that the treatment it arranges comes at a "vastly increased cost to the taxpayer". The NTPF has arranged treatment for more than 43,000 public patients and it negotiates competitive, inclusive prices with hospitals for all surgical procedures.
The fund was established to reduce the length of time public patients wait for operations. Its budget equates to approximately 0.5 per cent of total health expenditure.
Many public patients for whom it has arranged treatment had been waiting several years for their operation, while today the vast majority of public patients are treated for the most common procedures in a matter of weeks. It is clear that if the NTPF was not in existence public patients would have to wait longer for their surgery.
The NTPF is a resource for patients throughout the country, many of whom waited unreasonably long periods for surgery. Irrespective of why public patients are on a surgical waiting list, if they have been on a list for more than three months, they can contact the NTPF on LoCall 1890 720 820. - Yours, etc,
PAT O'BYRNE, CEO, National Treatment Purchase Fund, Tara Street, Dublin 2.