Concerns over HSE nursing homes fees in Cork

THE average fee payable for residents in HSE nursing homes in Cork increased to €661 above the average fee payable for private and voluntary nursing homes in both the city and county, the chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland has said.

Tadhg Daly, a native of Drimoleague in Co Cork, was speaking in the aftermath of recently published figures in Cork which showed that HSE nursing homes were receiving an average of €661 more under Fair Deal fees payable when compared with private and voluntary counterparts.

The figures, which were taken during snapshots of time in January 2023 and in January 2022, showed the average fees for 19 HSE nursing homes in Cork city and county in January 2023 were €1,734 compared to €1,570 in January 2022. This represented an increase of 10.4%.

Mr Daly said 20 nursing homes closed their doors in the past year. 

“Communities are losing nursing home care services, and this will have very detrimental implications and leave health and social care without vital services. The closures will continue until urgent stability is brought into being by Government.”

The average fee for the 48 private and voluntary nursing homes in Cork city and county in January 2023 were €1,073 which represents a 2.7% rise on the January 2022 figure of €1,045.

The overall figures for nursing home residents in January 2023 represent a 61% difference between HSE fees and private and voluntary nursing homes in Cork. Mr Daly said the gulf in payments to HSE nursing homes has increased.

“The already considerable gulf in payments to HSE nursing homes has increased. HSE nursing homes now, on average, are receiving close to an average €800 extra funding per resident, per week, for nursing home care. In January 2022, the average difference was over €600 per resident. Fees payable to HSE nursing homes signify the reality of nursing home care costs,” he said.

“The chasm in how the State funds its own nursing homes represents discrimination against nursing home residents and those entrusted in meeting their health and social care needs.

“The discrimination being operated under Fair Deal has a direct effect upon the ability of nursing homes to appropriately remunerate and retain staff who are vital to meeting our older population’s health and social care needs,” he added.

PUBLIC NURSING HOMES HAVE 'HIGHER COST OF CARE'

A spokesperson for the HSE said: “There are variations in the cost of care in public nursing homes and private nursing homes, with public nursing homes generally having a higher cost of care. In 2023, the paid cost of care, per bed, per week in public nursing homes is €1,844. 

"This is an increase from €1,698 in 2022. The cost of care was set at the 2022 paid rate, plus the pay increases for public servants awarded in 2022, as per the Building Momentum, pay agreement.

"These costs apply to the operating costs of providing care in public nursing homes. The amount a nursing home resident pays towards the cost of their nursing home care under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Fair Deal) is calculated based on the value of their assets and income when they apply for nursing home care. The cost of care at public nursing homes/community nursing units is calculated annually by the HSE and implemented as part of the funding process for Public Units under the NHSS Act 2009,” the spokesperson added.