Private nursing home operators are complaining they cannot appeal fixed prices for residents, Fine Gael Senator Colm Burke has said.

He told the Seanad there were more than 23,500 people in private nursing home beds under the fair deal scheme.

A number of operators had said to him when a price was fixed, at different levels, they had no right of appeal, he added.

“They have concerns about this because private nursing homes would all have similar costs, including wages, insurance, heating and food but there is a variation in different parts of the country in the price that is set,’’ said Mr Burke.

He suggested an appeals process be put in place.

“I am not saying that everyone would be entitled to appeal but where there are reasonable grounds for an appeal, namely, that the price set does not take into account all of the issues faced by the nursing home on a day-to-day basis, an appeal should be possible,’’ said Mr Burke.

Negotiate

Minister of State for Health Finian McGrath said the legislation underpinning the Nursing Home Support Scheme required each home to negotiate and agree a price for long-term residential care services with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) should it wish to be an approved premises.

“The NTPF has statutory independence in the performance of its functions and negotiates with each nursing home on an individual basis,’’ he added.

"The Department of Health has no role in such individual negotiations.''

Mr McGrath said NTPF examined the records and accounts of nursing homes as part of the process with the objective of setting a fair price which delivered value for money to the individual and the State.

“In negotiation with the nursing homes, the NTPF has regard to cost reasonably and prudently incurred by the nursing home and evidence of value for money,’’ he added.

It also had regard to other issues such as local market prices and budgetary constraints, said Mr McGrath.