Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2023
743. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of hospitals not accepting referrals for patients who availed of the cross-border initiative for treatment, despite HSE guidelines which assure patients that should complications arise they have the right "to access the Irish health care system to put it right"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24197/23]
View answerUnder the terms of the EU Cross Border Directive (CBD), where a patient has received healthcare abroad, in another EU/EEA country under the provisions of the CBD, and medical follow-up proves necessary the home country (in this case Ireland) is obliged to provide the patient with the same follow-up treatment it would have provided had the treatment taken place on its territory.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
