In his speech at the McGill Summer School Minister Reilly said
I want to announce tonight, as part of the work of the SDU, significant changes in how hospitals will deal with long waiting lists and in the operation of the National Treatment Purchase Fund. There are three main changes:First, all public hospitals are being instructed to ensure they have no patients waiting more than 12 months by the end of the year. It is unacceptable that hospitals leave some patients on waiting lists for very long periods of time safe in the knowledge that the NTPF will eventually pick up the tab. I will no longer tolerate this attitude to patients – hospitals need to become accountable for the listing decisions of their surgeons. I am therefore requiring all hospitals to ensure that they have no patient listed as waiting over 12 months for treatment by the end of the year. Where they fail to do so, the NTPF will source the necessary treatments and the hospitals’ budgets will be reduced by a corresponding amount in 2012
Second, the NTPF will target particular backlogs rather than routinely accept referrals of patients waiting over 3 months. The NTPF will still provide treatments for patients but will target specific backlogs. Follow up treatments for existing patients will be provided as is the normal practice.
Third, I want a system where the patient and taxpayer get the greatest return on scarce resources consistent with quality and safety. That is why I am ending the requirement that the NTPF purchase 90% of treatments in the private sector. The NTPF will purchase treatments wherever it gets the best value in either the public or the private sector. I want the NTPF to drive a hard bargain on behalf of patients without regard to the location of the treatment.
