Two patients a day seek treatment in EU over failings in our health system
The situation, which is already double the total figure last year, was outlined by an opposition party last night after it obtained official Department of Health documents detailing the scale of foreign care.
Figures obtained by Sinn Féin health spokeswoman Louise O’Reilly show that, between January 1 and June 30 this year, 371 people were transferred out of the Irish health service to be treated abroad under EU cross-border schemes.
The rate, which is the equivalent of two people being transferred every 24 hours, is more than twice the 157 people sent to other countries last year and far higher than the seven individuals who accessed the same service in 2014.
While almost half of the people involved were sent to the North, the majority have been asked to go to Britain, continental Europe, and Scandinavia for the care they need.
And although most cases relate to orthopaedics and orthodontics, an increasing number of transfers are also now focussed on general surgery — costing the State €29,246 in 2014, €571,631 in 2015, and €533,199 already this year.
In response, a Department of Health spokesperson said Health Minister Simon Harris is fully committed to reducing waiting lists.
In particular, the spokesperson said that Mr Harris has already instigated a five-point plan to tackle the record 500,000-plus people waiting for care, with a focus on those waiting more than 18 months for treatment.
The spokesperson said that “reducing waiting times is not just about increased funding for waiting lists which this Government has committed to” and noted Mr Harris also intends to bring back the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
However, Ms O’Reilly dismissed the plans, saying the need to send patients to other countries is the direct result of repeated failures to adequately resource the health system.
“These figures are symptomatic of a worrying crisis in our health system including lengthening waiting lists and the inability to access treatments and services in a timely fashion,”she said.
Ms O’Reilly said the failure to tackle issues around access, capacity, funding, and resources in our health service leaves people reliant on schemes like the cross-border directive to get access to health services they need.
“While I do welcome the fact patients are getting access to treatments more quickly through use of the cross-border directive there is no replacement for the resourcing and funding of our own health services to meet the demand,” she added.
Latest hospital waiting list figures show 530,000 people were having their care delayed at the end of July. More than 430,500 of these patients were waiting for outpatient care and 77,800 for inpatient services.
