Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Saolta Hospital Group has been funded to outsource over 12 thousand patients through the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
The matter arose at this week's meeting of the Health Forum West, which heard concerns about waiting lists at Galway's public hospitals, which have grown even more during Covid-19.
The Saolta Group oversees 7 hospitals in the West and North-West - including UHG, Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, and Merlin Park Hospital.
This week's meeting of the Regional Health Forum West heard concerns about public patients being treated at private hospitals.
One issue discussed was the national deal to use 30 percent capacity at private hospitals due to Covid-19.
Chief Operations Officer Anne Cosgrove admitted it was not enough, and would never be enough, to deal with the pressure on the hospitals in the Saolta group of public hospitals.
However she said because of the "catch-up" needed, they would continue to work with private hospitals and try to build on the arrangements already in place.
Since the deal with private hospitals was established last year, 517 patients at UHG have been outsourced to private hospitals, while a further 20 have been referred from Portiuncula.
It was also confirmed this week that funding has been secured to outsource 12 thousand patients from across the Saolta Group, through the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
