Brendan Smith demands legislation for Northern Ireland healthcare
Deputy Brendan Smith urged that the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme be placed on a legislative footing and asked for a timeline for those measures. He said the scheme should see greater use, including for children awaiting therapies.
Key figures
The Taoiseach said that, using the latest HSE data, over 5,500 reimbursements were made in 2021 for persons accessing healthcare in Northern Ireland under either transitional arrangements or the new Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme. That equates to the reimbursement of approximately €9.7 million to patients accessing care under the scheme.
Scheme background and cross-border care
The Taoiseach outlined that the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme was introduced in early 2021 as a replacement for the EU cross-border directive following Britain’s exit from the EU. The scheme and its predecessor have enabled large numbers of patients on long hospital waiting lists to access treatment and surgery in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, and people from Northern Ireland have accessed treatment in private hospitals in this State where there is spare capacity across some specialties.
Legislative status and government response
Deputy Brendan Smith said the scheme needs to be put on a legislative basis and requested a timeline for such measures. The Taoiseach confirmed the scheme is currently operating on an administrative basis and said work is underway by the Department of Health to determine the legislative framework necessary to underpin the operation of the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme.
Patient impact and recommended use
Deputy Smith highlighted that the scheme should be used more, particularly for children awaiting therapies. The Taoiseach noted that patients are also continuing to access care in other European Union nations under the provisions of the cross-border directive and said he would return to the Deputy with more specific timelines for legislation.
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The Taoiseach, as you know 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 has enabled large numbers of patients to access treatment and or surgery or both in Northern Ireland and elsewhere paid for by this state. By and large these were patients on long hospital waiting lists. Similarly people from Northern Ireland have accessed 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 an administrative basis as at present. We should actually be seeing more use of this scheme particularly for children awaiting therapies for example. So I would like if there was a timeline in respect of the legislative measures. Thank you. I thank you Deputy for raising the issue. This scheme has been an effective operation since January of 2021 which ensured patients did not lose 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 over 5,500 reimbursements have been made for 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 9.7 million approximately to patients accessing care under the scheme and patients are also continuing to access care in other European Union nations under the provisions of the cross-border directive. Now in terms of the legislation it is on an administrative basis at the moment. Work is underway by the Department of Health to determine the legislative framework necessary to underpin the operation of the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme. That will continue over the coming while and I will come back to the Deputy in terms of more specific timelines. Thank you.
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