John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

866. To ask the Minister for Health if cataract operations are available for Irish persons in Belfast under the cross-border directive; his views on whether it would be more appropriate and cost-effective to have these treatments carried out here under the National Treatment Purchase Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55081/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross Border Healthcare provides rules for the reimbursement 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 through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (Regulation 883/04).

The Health Service Executive (HSE) operates the EU Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland. In line with practice in other EU Member States, the HSE, through the National Contact Point (NCP) office, provides information for patients on the Cross-Border Directive on its website - -and also by phone. The principal function of the NCP is to facilitate exchange of information for patients concerning their rights and entitlements relating to receiving healthcare in another Member State, in particular the terms and conditions for reimbursement of cost and the procedures for accessing and determining those entitlements.

The HSE have confirmed that a person may avail of cataract surgery under the Cross Border Directive.

Reducing waiting times for patients is one of this Government's key priorities. October's Budget announced a total 2018 allocation of €55m for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) for 2018. This more than doubled its 2017 total allocation which was €20m. This year, there will be continued focus on long-waiting patients and overall waiting list numbers. This funding will enable the provision of treatment patients on the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List across a range of specialties and procedures. The NTPF will work with both public and private hospitals in order to provide access for patients to treatment. Further, additional funding of €10m in 2018 will be dedicated to addressing other waiting lists, including children in need of paediatric orthopaedic and scoliosis procedures. Planning for 2018 is ongoing by the HSE and the NTPF.

The NTPF made significant progress on cataracts in 2017. Between July and December the overall cataract waiting list was reduced by 2,000 and the number waiting over 15 months was reduced from almost 1,600 to just over 300. NTPF figures for the end of December showed more than half of cataract patients are waiting less than 6 months and 72% are waiting less than 9 months. I expect further progress to be achieved in this speciality in 2018 given the significant increase in the NTPF budget.