3344. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to review correspondence (details supplied) and in view of the very prolonged HSE referral and waiting list, allow for reimbursement of costs in this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60025/26]

I understand the Deputy may be seeking information on schemes which facilitate patients accessing medical treatment abroad.

The HSE currently operates three schemes that facilitate patients accessing medical treatment abroad.

The HSE operates the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), for persons entitled under EU Regulation 883/04. The TAS is a consultant led scheme and allows for a public consultant based in Ireland to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the public healthcare system of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. Subject to the EU Regulations and Guidelines, the TAS provides for the cost of approved public treatments in another EU/EEA member state, the UK or Switzerland through the issue of form S2 (IE) where the treatment is:

• among the benefits provided for by Irish legislation;

• not available in Ireland;

• not available within the time normally necessary for obtaining it in Ireland, taking account of the patient's current state of health and the probable course of the disease;

• medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs;

• a proven form of medical treatment and not experimental or test treatment;

• provided in a recognised public hospital or other institution that will accept EU/EEA form S2 (IE) and;

• is under the control of a registered medical practitioner.

The HSE provides further information for patients on the HSE TAS website https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/treatment-abroad-scheme/

An alternative where the treatment is available in Ireland is the EU Cross Border Directive (CBD). The EU CBD provides rules for the reimbursements to patients of the cost of receiving treatment abroad, where the patient would be entitled to such treatment in their home Member State, and supplements the rights that patients already have at EU level. The HSE operates the EU Cross Border Directive (CBD) in Ireland. Under the terms of the CBD, patients in Ireland can seek to be referred to another EU/EEA country for medical treatment that is available in the public health service in Ireland. The patient may access the overseas service in either the public or private health sector of the country they choose to receive the service in. The patient pays for the treatment and claims reimbursement from the HSE at the cost of that treatment in Ireland or the cost of it abroad, whichever is the lesser. The HSE, in fulfilling its role as the National Contact Point (NCP) in Ireland, provides information for patients on the operation of the CBD, including on its [CBD website] https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/cross-border-directive/

In addition, the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme (NIPHS) has been in effective operation since 1 January 2021. This Scheme was introduced to mitigate the loss of access to care from private providers in Northern Ireland under the EU Cross Border Directive, which ceased to apply as a result of Brexit. The current administrative scheme enables persons ordinarily resident in the State to access and be reimbursed for private healthcare in Northern Ireland by the HSE, provided such healthcare is publicly available within Ireland. Such healthcare will be reimbursed at the cost of providing that treatment in the State or the cost of same in Northern Ireland, whichever is the lesser. The HSE provides further information for patients on the HSE NIPHS website https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/niphs/contact-appeals/

As the question concerns the circumstances of an individual case, this is a service matter and I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.