There was a spend of €13 million by the Health Service Executive in the west on taxis and minibuses for patients and staff over the past five years.
According to reports this week, the HSE has spent €122 million nationally on such transportation costs. The report stated that in 2003 more than €18 million was spent on transportation and this jumped to €31.6 million last year, which represented a 73 per cent increase.
The report also showed that in the north east of the country, which covers Louth, Cavan, Meath and Monaghan, there was a staggering €20.6 million spend on taxis and minibuses. In the Midlands, east coast and south east areas, there was a spend of €14 million each. The south of the country spent €13 million.
In a statement received by the HSE it was stressed that these costs covered “all non emergency patient transportation” and “not simply taxi costs”. The HSE says that in excess of 90 per cent of all the costs are patient related and not staff related. The costs are incurred through the transportation of: older people to day centres; children with learning disabilities to rehabilitation/educational facilities; older people to day hospital to receive treatments; cancer patients receiving radiotherapy treatment; renal patients receiving renal dialysis; and for patients travelling for various procedures and treatments to hospitals across the country.
However, opposition representatives have condemned the massive spend and are calling for more cost effective ways of transport to be explored instead of cutting back on the medical cards.
