From Department of Health
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The Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, acknowledges the publication of the Value for Money and Policy Review of Nursing Home Care Costs.
The Final Report of the Value for Money and Policy Review of Nursing Home Care Costs was undertaken between March 2018 and March 2021 under the direction of a Steering Committee comprising representatives of:
The purpose of the Review was to identify and analyse the reasons for any cost differential between the provision of care in private/voluntary and public nursing homes.
The report found that the cost differential is largely driven by variances in staff-to-resident ratios and the skill mix in public and private nursing homes. However, the review also found that establishing like-for-like comparisons was complex and not always possible, especially when considering differences in dependency levels.
The report has made 9 recommendations for improving the value for money obtained by the State, covering various aspects of the issues considered.
These include for example:
Significant work is underway in each of these areas and all recommendations will be taken forward by the Department of Health and other stakeholders.
Minister Butler said:
“A significant amount of work has gone into producing this report, and the delivery of the recommendations, many of which are already underway, will contribute substantially to addressing the issues identified. I am committed to ensuring that we achieve the best possible quality of care in nursing homes, whilst also ensuring that we achieve value for money in the delivery of our services.”
The department recognises that the work arising from these recommendations will involve significant research, policy analysis and development work, and an extensive input from clinical, economic, and legal sources. The implementation of the recommendations will also have regard to other recent reports, including the final report published by the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel and the National Treatment Purchase Fund Review of the Pricing System for Private Nursing Homes.
1. the costs reasonably and prudently incurred by the home and evidence of value for money
2. the price(s) previously charged
3. the local market price
4. budgetary constraints and the obligation of the State to use available resources in the most beneficial, effective and efficient manner