15,000 Patients To Share In €48m Refund From The HSE

THE way has been cleared for 15,000 nursing home and other long-stay patients to receive up to €48m in refunds from the Health Service Executive (HSE), it was learned yesterday.

This payout — separate to the €390m nursing home refund scheme — will leave the HSE with yet another financial headache as it is facing a €300m overrun this year.

The latest cash award relates to the interest which built up on the private accounts of people in long-stay care in public homes who handed over their pension books and other bank savings to the health service for “safe keeping”.

Until 2006 the health service did not pass on the interest on these accounts, saying it was regarded as an administrative fee

But the Attorney General said this was wrong practice and ordered the interest be paid back and adjusted for inflation.