NHS will pay for operation abroad
APATIENT is flying to Lithuania for knee replacement surgery funded by the NHS using a little-known loophole.
Sean Evans claimed he faced a 12-month wait for the procedure on the National Health Service or forking out £11,000 if he had undergone the operation privately.
The 57-year-old community cricket coach, of Birchgrove, Swansea, said patients facing a 36-week wait for treatment could apply to the health board for funding to have it carried out elsewhere within the European Economic Area (EEA).
He said he would be reimbursed by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board to the tune of £6,000 for the procedure.
Mr Evans said: “The simple situation was I faced a 12-month wait for knee replacement surgery.
“I was diagnosed around May. I was given the chance of paying £11,000 privately or £7,000 through Benenden Health cover, as they give 25% off if you have any surgery.”
He added: “When I was talking to a friend of mine who works in the NHS in financial services, he said in my capacity as a EU citizen you are entitled to apply to your local health board – in my case ABMU – to get it remedied.
“I phoned my doctor and he didn’t know anything about it and it was put to my practice manager and they didn’t know anything about it.
“I am entitled to apply for funding to go for treatment within the European Economic Area. I made the application and it came back successful and they allocated £6,000.”
Grandfather Mr Evans made clear the emphasis was very much on the patient to find everything out and research where to undergo treatment.
“I happen to know Lithuania is the most popular for orthopaedic surgery as they have centres of excellence and they have been absolutely fantastic,” he said.
“I will be flying from Bristol to Kaunas in Lithuania on Sunday. I will have the pre-op on Monday, the operation on Tuesday, and I will be out on Friday. I will have rehabilitation for a week that I have to pay for. The operation is all paid for by the British taxpayer.
“There aren’t many people who know anything about this.”
Mr Evans said many patients could have their problems solved if they opted to have their operation done overseas.
“My application was approved in no time at all by the health board,” he said. “It’s a benefit of being in the EU. I could have been seen within weeks but I had to put it off until September due to personal reasons.
“The absolute scandal is that noone knows about it when there are all these people hobbling around with dodgy knees and shoulders.
“I could not wait for 12 months as I’m an active person.”
In 2011 the European Parliament introduced a directive on cross-border healthcare to clarify the rights of EU citizens seeking treatment in EU states other than their own.
The directive means that an EU citizen has the right to medical treatment in any member state and to be treated on the same basis as they would in their home state.
The directive covers planned healthcare as opposed to emergency treatment, which is usually covered through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) system.
An Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board spokeswoman said: “The health board was acting within the rules of the NHS across the UK.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said the situation was the same as in England and that patients had to find their own healthcare provider, pay the costs upfront and seek reimbursement from their health board.
He said: “We’d always recommend discussing with the local health board first to make sure that they will be entitled to reimbursement. They will not in any case be entitled to recover travel costs.”