Authority plans crackdown on ‘health tourism’

THE Eastern Regional Health Authority is drawing up plans to implement a clampdown on the number of patients from outside the greater Dublin area availing of its services.

It follows publication of an ERHA report which highlighted how over 36% of all elective surgery carried out within the ERHA region is conducted on patients from other health board areas.

However, the Irish Patients Association has warned that the identification of “health tourism” in Ireland should not result in any further cutbacks to hospital services around the country.