Northern Ireland healthcare scheme
Deputy Brendan Smith described the operation of the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme and its importance for patients accessing treatment. The Taoiseach said the scheme had operated effectively since January 2021 and had already reimbursed thousands of patients.
As the Taoiseach knows, in early 2021, the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme was put in place as a replacement for the European Union cross-border directive, following Britain’s exit from the EU. This scheme and its predecessor have enabled large numbers of patients to access treatment or surgery or both in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, paid for by this State. By and large, these were patients who had been on long hospital waiting lists. Similarly, people from Northern Ireland have access to treatment in private hospitals in this State where there is spare capacity across some specialties. This scheme needs to be put on a legislative basis and not just on administrative basis as at present. We should be seeing more use of this scheme, especially for children who are awaiting therapies, for example. I would like if there were a timeline in respect of the legislative measures.
Comment on this
I thank Deputy for raising the issue. This scheme has been in effective operation since January 2021. It ensures patients have not lost important access to private providers in Northern Ireland following the cessation of the EU cross-border directive arising from Brexit. Using the latest data available from the HSE, more than 5,500 reimbursements have been made to persons in 2021 who have continued to access healthcare in Northern Ireland under either the cross-border directive transitional arrangements or the new Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme. This equates to the reimbursement of approximately €9.7 million to patients accessing care under the scheme. Patients also continue to access care in other European Union nations under the provisions of the cross-border directive.
On the point of the legislation, this is on administrative basis at the moment. Work is under way by the Department of Health to determine the legislative framework that is necessary to underpin the operation of the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme. That will continue over the coming while. I will come back to the Deputy with more specific timelines.